i 


JEAN  WITH  A  PIGEON  ON  EACH  SHOULDER  WAS  PERFECTLY 
HAPPY. 

Frontispiece 


T,e  Corner  s 


K5/1 


THE  FOUR 
CORNERS 
ABROAD 


AMYLBLANCHARD 
GeorgeW  Jacobs  4  G«nponjj 


Philadelphia. 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELE9 


Copyright,  1909,  by 

GEORGE  W.  JACOBS  &  COMPANY 

Published  August,  1909 


All  rights  reserved 
Printed  in  U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 

I.  THE  FOURTH  IN  PARIS      ...        7 

II.  THE  DAY  OF  BASTILLE     .        .        .25 

III.  HOUSEKEEPING         ....      43 

IV.  A  GLIMPSE  OF  SPAIN       ...      65 
V.    A  FIESTA 87 

VI.  SPANISH  HOSPITALITY      .        .        .105 

VII.  ACROSS  THE  CHANNEL      .        .        .125 

VIII.  IN  LONDON  TOWN     .        .        .        .145 

IX.     WORK 165 

X.  A  NIGHT  ADVENTURE      .        .        .187 

XI.  SETTLING  DOWN       ....     209 

XII.    ALL  SAINTS 229 

XIII.  THE  FAIRY  PLAY  AND  ITS  CONSE- 

QUENCES        247 

XIV.  "  STILLE  NACHT  "    .        .        .        .267 
XV.  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  ....    289 

XVI.  HERR  GREEN-CAP    .        .        .        .313 

XVII.  GOOD-BYE  MUNICH   ....     335 

XVIII.  JACK  AS  CHAMPION  .        .        .        -357 

XIX.  A  YOUTHFUL  GUIDE        .        .        .377 

XX.  TOWARD  THE  TOE    .        .        .        .    397 


2125950 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

« 

Jean   with  a  pigeon  on   each  shoulder 

was  perfectly  happy       .         .         .         Frontispiece 

Nan  volunteered  to  go  for  supplies         .  Facing  page  52 

Mary  Lee  was  snapping  her  fingers  and 

taking  her  steps   .         .         .  "         "96 

Jo  managed  to  get  next  to  the  driver     .       "         "150 

The  children  stood  in  awe  and  delight 

at  the  Krippen      ....""    270 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  FOURTH  IN  PARIS 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  FOURTH  IN   PARIS 

IT  was  at  Passy  that  a  little  party  of  Ameri- 
can girls  were  discussing  the  afternoon's  plans 
one  day  in  July.  The  three  older  girls  were 
most  interested ;  the  two  younger  were  too 
much  engrossed  in  a  game  of  Diabolo  to  notice 
very  much  what  the  others  were  talking  about. 

"  You  see  it's  raining,"  said  Nan  Corner,  a 
tall  girl  with  dark  hair,  "  so  we  can't  go  in  the 
Bois  as  we  intended." 

"  Neither  do  we  want  to  follow  Aunt  Helen's 
example  and  go  hunting  for  antiques,"  put  in 
Nan's  sister,  Mary  Lee.  "  What  do  you  say 
we  do,  Jo?" 

Jo  Keyes  was  drumming  on  the  window-pane 
and  looking  out  at  the  rather  unpromising 
weather.  "  I  see  an  American  flag,  girls,"  she 
said.  "  Hail  to  you,  Old  Glory ! — Goodness 
me  ! "  She  turned  around.  "  Do  you  all  know 
what  day  it  is  ?  Of  course  we  must  do  some- 
thing patriotic." 

"It's  the  Fourth  of  July!"  exclaimed  Nan, 
"  and  we  never  thought  of  it.  For  pity's  sake  ! 
Isn't  it  ridiculous  ?  We  never  made  very  much 


lo  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

of  it  at  home,  but  over  here  I  feel  so  American 
when  I  remember  Bunker  Hill  and  Yorktown  and 
our  own  Virginia  Washington,  that  I  could  paint 
myself  red,  white  and  blue,  and  cry  '  Give  me 
liberty  or  give  me  death,'  from  out  the  front 
window." 

"  I  beg  you'll  do  no  such  thing,"  said  Mary 
Lee,  the  literal. 

Nan  laughed.  The  twins  stopped  their  play 
and  began  to  take  an  interest  in  what  was  being 
said.  "  Do  paint  your  face  red,  white  and  blue 
and  lean  out  the  front  window,  Nan,"  said 
Jack ;  "it  would  be  so  funny." 

"  Let  Mary  Lee  do  it,"  said  Nan,  putting  her 
arm  around  her  little  sister ;  "  she's  already  red, 
white  and  blue." 

"  Let  me  see,  Mary  Lee,  let  me  see,"  said 
Jack,  eagerly. 

The  others  laughed.  "Blue  eyes,  white 
nose,  red  lips,"  said  Nan,  touching  with  her 
ringer  these  features  of  Mary  Lee's. 

"You  fooled  me,"  said  Jack  disgustedly. 
"I  thought  she  might  have  lovely  stripes  or 
something  on  her  face." 

"  Foolish  child,"  returned  Nan,  giving  her  a 
squeeze.  "We  must  do  something,  girls,  and 
look  '  how  it  do  rain,'  as  Mitty  would  say." 

"  Can't  we  have  torpedoes  or  firecrackers  or 
some  kind  of  fireworks  ? "  asked  Jean. 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  ll 

"  The  gendarmes  might  come  and  rush  us  all 
off  to  the  police  court  if  we  did,"  Jo  told  her. 
"They're  so  terribly  particular  here  in  Paris, 
that  if  a  cab  or  an  auto  runs  over  you,  you 
have  to  pay  damages  for  getting  in  the 
way." 

"  Thank  heaven  we're  Americans,"  said  Nan 
fervently.  "  I  am  more  eager  than  ever  to 
flaunt  my  colors.  Of  all  unjust  things  I  ever 
heard  it  is  to  run  you  down  and  make  you  pay 
for  it.  They  needn't  talk  to  me  about  their 
libert^  fraternite,  and  egalite.  I'll  give  a  cen- 
time to  the  first  one  who  thinks  a  happy  thought 
for  celebrating,  myself  included." 

Jo  was  the  first  with  a  suggestion.  "  Let's 
have  a  tea  and  invite  the  grown-ups,  your 
mother  and  Miss  Helen.  We  might  ask  that 
nice  Miss  Joyce,  too.  We  can  have  red,  white 
and  blue  decorations  and  dress  ourselves  in  the 
national  colors,  and  it  will  be  fine." 

"  The  centime  is  yours,"  cried  Nan.  "  You 
always  were  a  good  fellow  with  ideas,  Jo.  Now 
let's  set  our  wits  to  work.  Who  dares  brave 
the  elements  with  me  ?  I  shall  have  to  go  forag- 
ing in  the  neighborhood." 

"  I'll  go,"  cried  Jack. 

"  I'd  love  to  go  foraging,"  said  Jean. 

"  If  you  want  any  assistance  in  carrying 
bundles,  I'm  your  man,"  said  Jo. 


12  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Then  you  twinnies  would  better  stay  at 
home  with  Mary  Lee,"  said  Nan. 

"  But  we  do  want  to  go,  too,"  begged  the 
two. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  want  to  get  yourselves 
all  drabbled,  and  very  likely  you'd  take  cold," 
remarked  Mary  Lee.  "  For  my  part  I'd  much 
rather  stay  in." 

This  quite  satisfied  Jean,  but  Jack  still  pouted 
until  Nan  suggested  that  she  help  Mary  Lee  ar- 
range the  room  and  think  up  their  costumes ; 
then  the  two  oldest  girls  with  umbrellas,  rubbers 
and  waterproofs  set  out.  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss 
Helen  had  gone  to  the  city  to  attend  to  some 
business  at  their  banker's  and  would  not  return 
till  later,  therefore,  the  girls  concluded,  it  would 
be  an  excellent  time  to  try  their  ingenuity  ;  they 
had  been  accustomed  to  do  such  things  before 
now  and  their  imaginations,  never  rusty  at  any 
time,  were  in  good  working  order. 

"  I  know  what  I  shall  do,"  said  Mary  Lee,  as 
soon  as  the  door  closed  after  Nan  and  Jo.  "  I 
shall  sew  red  stripes  on  one  of  my  white  frocks. 
I  have  some  Turkey  red  I  was  going  to  make 
inco  a  bag ;  I'll  use  that" 

"  What  can  we  do  ?  "  queried  Jean. 

"We  shall  have  to  get  the  room  ready  first," 
Mary  Lee  told  her,  "  and  then  we'll  think  of  our 
dresses.  Go  into  Aunt  Helen's  room,  Jack,  and 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  13 

get  all  the  red  Baedekers  you  can  find,  and  if 
you  see  any  blue  books,  bring  them,  too.  Jean, 
go  into  all  our  rooms  and  bring  any  red-border 
towels  you  see." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them  ? " 
asked  Jean,  pausing  at  the  door. 

"  You'll  see.  Trot  along,  for  we  haven't  any 
too  much  time." 

Jean  ran  off  and  presently  came  back  with  a 
lot  of  towels  hanging  over  her  arm.  These 
Mary  Lee  disposed  over  the  largest  sofa  pillow 
so  as  to  give  the  effect  of  a  series  of  red  and 
white  stripes,  setting  a  blue  covered  cushion 
above  the  first.  When  Jack  returned  with  the 
books,  which  she  managed  to  drop  at  intervals 
between  the  door  and  the  lounge,  Mary  Lee 
made  neat  piles  on  the  table  of  the  red  and  blue 
covered  volumes,  the  white  edges  giving  the 
required  combination  of  color. 

"  There  are  a  great  many  more  red  than  blue 
ones,"  remarked  Jack,  watching  the  effect  of 
Mary  Lee's  work.  "  I  know  what  we  can  do, 
Mary  Lee,  we  can  cover  some  of  the  books.  I 
saw  some  blue  wrapping-paper  in  Aunt  Helen's 
room." 

"  A  good  idea.  Great  head.  Bring  it  along, 
Jack."  And  again  Jack  scampered  off  to  return 
in  a  few  minutes  with  the  blue  paper  which 
Mary  Lee  used  to  cover  the  books  needed. 


14  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  That  does  very  well,"  she  commented,  sur- 
veying her  work  with  pleased  eyes.  "  Now 
we'll  have  to  wait  till  Nan  comes  before  we  can 
finish  up  here.  Fortunately  Aunt  Helen  has 
blue  and  white  tea  things,  and  they  will  need 
only  to  be  set  on  a  red  covered  tray.  I  won't 
do  that  yet  before  I  see  what  Nan  and  Jo  bring 
back  with  them.  Now,  I'm  going  to  sew  the 
stripes  on  my  skirt.  We  will  see  about  you 
chicks  when  Nan  comes." 

She  went  off  bent  upon  carrying  out  her  de- 
sign of  wearing  a  red  striped  frock  and  blue  tie. 
"  I've  a  lovely  idea,"  Jack  whispered  to  her 
twin.  "  Let's  go  into  mother's  room  and  I'll 
show  you."  And  the  two  disappeared  closing 
the  door  behind  them. 

Half  an  hour  later  Nan  and  Jo  returned.  Mary 
Lee  met  them,  red'striped  skirt  in  hand.  "  Well," 
she  exclaimed  eagerly,  "  did  you  manage  to  get 
anything?  " 

"  Indeed  we  did,"  Jo  replied.  "  Look  at  these 
flowers.  Aren't  they  just  the  thing  ?  We  found 
an  old  woman  around  the  corner  with  a  cart 
full  of  flowers  and  we  took  our  pick."  She 
held  up  a  bunch  of  red  and  white  carnations 
with  some  blue  corn-flowers. 

"Perfect,"  agreed  Mary  Lee.  "What  else 
did  you  get  ?  " 

"  Some  red  candies."     Nan  produced  them. 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  15 

"  We  shall  put  them  in  that  little  blue  and  white 
Japanese  dish  of  mother's.  We  have  a  beauti- 
ful sugary  white  cake,  and  I  am  going  to  make 
a  little  American  flag  to  stand  up  in  the  middle 
of  it.  We  have  some  lady-fingers  which  we 
shall  tie  up  with  red,  white  and  blue  ribbons, 
and  with  bread  and  butter  I  think  that  will  do. 
My,  Mary  Lee !  you've  done  beautifully.  It 
looks  fine.  Who  thought  of  the  red  Baedekers 
and  the  blue  books  ?  " 

"  I  did,  or  at  least  Jack  helped  out  the  idea 
with  the  blue  paper  covers." 

"  Where  are  the  kiddies  ?  " 

"  In  mother's  room  getting  ready.  I've  been 
basting  these  red  stripes  on  this  skirt.  I've  the 
last  one  nearly  finished.  What  are  you  going 
to  wear,  Nan  ?  " 

"  I'd  copy-cat  your  red  stripes  if  I  had  time, 
but  I  can  cut  out  some  stars  and  paste  them  on 
a  blue  belt,  maybe,  and  wear  a  white  shirt-waist 
and  a  red  skirt.  Jo  has  a  striped  red  and  white 
waist  she  can  wear  with  a  blue  tie.  We  must 
hurry  up,  for  time  is  flying  and  I  have  still  the 
flag  to  make." 

They  skurried  around  and  soon  had  every- 
thing arranged  to  their  taste.  "  Now  I'll  make 
the  flag,"  said  Nan,  "  though  I'll  never  get  as 
many  stars  as  I  need  on  such  a  tiny  blue  ground, 
for  there  are  such  a  number  of  states.  Perhaps 


16  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

I  can  find  a  scrap  of  that  dark  blue  challis  with 
the  tiny  white  stars  on  it ;  that  would  do  very 
well  to  paste  in  one  corner." 

Mary  Lee  and  Jo  followed  her  to  the  room 
which  the  three  shared  in  common.  The  twins 
had  a  little  room  adjoining  and  from  this  issued 
a  murmur  of  voices. 

"  Who  has  taken  my  paint  box  ?  "  cried  Nan 
diving  down  into  her  trunk.  "  I've  looked 
everywhere  for  it.  I  was  sure  I  left  it  on  this 
table." 

"  I'll  bet  that  scamp  Jack  has  it,"  declared 
Mary  Lee. 

Nan  opened  the  door  leading  to  the  next 
room  and  there  beheld  the  two  sitting  on  the 
floor,  the  color  box  between  them.  A  mug  of 
water  stood  near.  Jack  had  just  painted  a 
series  of  ragged  stripes  across  her  white  shoes 
and  was  regarding  this  decoration  with  much 
complacency.  Jean  was  about  to  emulate  her 
twin  by  similarly  adorning  the  white  stockings 
upon  her  slim  little  legs.  She  had  carefully  be- 
gun at  the  very  top  and  had  just  made  her  first 
brush  mark. 

"Do  you  think  there  should  be  thirteen 
stripes?"  she  was  asking  Jack  when  Nan 
opened  the  door. 

"  You  wretches  ! "  cried  the  latter.  "  What 
are  you  doing  with  my  paints  ?  " 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  17 

"  We're  just  fixing  up  for  Fourth  of  July," 
responded  Jack  thrusting  out  a  brilliantly  striped 
foot  for  Nan's  inspection,  and  in  consequence 
upsetting  the  mug  of  water  over  the  color 
box. 

"  I  should  think  you  were  just  fixing  up,"  re- 
turned Nan.  "Just  look  at  my  color  box. 
You've  nearly  used  up  a  whole  pan  of  ver- 
milion, and  now  look  what  you  have  done. 
Get  a  towel,  Jean,  and  sop  it  up.  You've 
spoiled  your  shoes,  Jack.  They'll  never  be  fit 
to  wear  again." 

Jack  looked  ruefully  at  the  feet  in  which  she 
had  taken  such  pride. 

"  Mayn't  I  stripe  my  stockings,  Nan  ?  "  asked 
Jean  looking  up  from  her  task  of  mopping  up 
the  water. 

"  No,  chickie,  I  think  you'd  better  not." 

"But  Jack  has  such  beautiful  stripes,"  said 
Jean  regretfully. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  you  can  have,"  said  Nan. 
"  I've  a  lot  of  red  ribbons  and  I'll  wind  your 
sweet  little  pipe-stems  with  those." 

Jean  was  so  pleased  with  this  idea  that  she 
did  not  mind  the  aspersions  cast  upon  her  slim 
legs.  "  That  will  be  lovely,"  she  agreed,  "  and 
it  will  save  the  trouble  of  painting.  I  saw  it 
was  going  to  be  crite  hard  to  have  exactly 
thirteen  stripes  and  all  the  same  width." 


i8  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Nan  picked  up  the  sloppy  looking  color  box. 
"  I've  got  to  make  a  little  flag,"  she  said,  "  and 
as  soon  as  that  is  done  I'll  get  the  ribbons  for 
you."  She  bore  off  the  colors  into  the  next 
room  and  proceeded  hastily  to  make  her  flag, 
sticking  a  bit  of  the  starred  challis  in  one  corner 
for  the  field.  When  it  was  completed  she  looked 
around  for  a  proper  staff,  and  finally  settled  on 
one  of  her  paint  brushes  whose  pointed  handle 
served  excellently  well  to  stick  in  the  centre  of 
the  cake. 

Having  put  it  in  place,  Nan  stood  off  to  see 
the  effect.  "  It  doesn't  look  quite  right,"  she 
observed.  "  What  is  the  matter  with  it,  girls  ?  " 

"  You've  made  thirteen  red  stripes  instead  of 
having  thirteen  in  all,  red  and  white  included," 
Mary  Lee  told  her.  She  was  always  an  exact 
person. 

"  Dear  me,  that's  just  the  thing,"  said  Nan. 
"  Why  didn't  I  know  enough  to  do  it  right  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Jo.  "  Nobody  will  no- 
tice it,  and  I  am  sure  it  looks  very  well.  Isn't 
the  table  lovely  ?  I  wish  they  would  come." 

"  Oh,  but  I  don't,"  returned  Nan.  "  I've  yet 
to  dike,  and  I  promised  Jean  to  wind  her  legs 
for  her.  They  will  look  like  barbers'  poles,  but 
she'll  never  think  of  that,  so  please  don't  any 
one  suggest  it.  It  is  so  late  I'll  have  to  fling 
on  any  red,  white  and  blue  doings  I  can  find." 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  19 

"  I'll  wind  the  legs,"  volunteered  Jo.  "  I'm 
all  ready  as  you  see,  and  you've  had  the  most 
to  do." 

"  Good  for  you,"  responded  Nan.  "  I'll  get 
the  ribbons." 

"  Don't  you  think,"  said  Jo,  "  that  we  ought 
to  have  speeches  or  something?"  Jo  was  al- 
ways great  at  that  sort  of  thing. 

"It  wouldn't  be  bad."  Nan  was  quick  to 
accept  the  suggestion.  "  You  get  up  a  speech, 
Jo.  We'll  sing  Yankee  Doodle  and  Dixie  to 
comb  accompaniments,  and  I'll  recite  that  poem 
of  Emerson's  about  the  firing  of  the  shot  heard 
round  the  world.  What  will  you  do,  Mary 
Lee?" 

"  I  might  give  a  cake-walk,"  she  replied  ; 
"  that  would  be  truly  American." 

"  Let's  all  do  a  cake-walk,"  Nan  suggested. 
"  We  have  the  cake,  you  see,  and  you  can  dance 
a  breakdown,  Mary  Lee,  and  sing  a  plantation 
song." 

"  The  programme  is  rolling  up  splendidly," 
said  Jo.  "Go  along,  Nan,  and  get  dressed. 
If  you  stand  here  talking  the  guests  will  be 
here  before  you  are  ready." 

Nan  rushed  off  and,  in  her  usual  direct  and 
expeditious  manner,  soon  had  herself  arrayed. 
Her  blue  skirt,  white  shirt-waist  and  red  sash 
gave  the  foundation  of  her  costume  which  was 


2O  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

further  enlivened  by  a  red,  white  and  blue 
cockade,  made  hastily  of  tissue-paper  snatched 
out  of  various  places.  This  she  wore  in  her 
dark  hair  while  she  had  put  on  a  pair  of  red 
stockings  with  white  shoes,  the  latter  made 
resplendent  by  huge  blue  bows. 

"Your  get-up  is  fine,"  cried  Jo,  regarding 
her  admiringly.  "  You  always  outdo  every  one 
else,  Nan,  and  with  the  least  fussing  and  the 
slightest  amount  of  material.  Here  I've  taken 
the  trouble  to  put  these  white  stars  on  a  blue 
belt,  and  Mary  Lee  has  basted  all  those  stripes 
around  her  skirt,  yet  look  at  you  with  that 
dandy  little  cockade  and  those  fetching  blue 
bows  which  didn't  take  you  five  minutes  to 
make." 

"  There  they  come,"  cried  Mary  Lee. 

"Start  the  teakettle,  somebody,  while  I  go 
tell  Miss  Joyce.  I  hope  she  has  not  gone  out." 
She  rushed  off  leaving  the  others  to  begin  the 
tea-making.  On  the  way  from  Miss  Joyce's 
room,  where  she  fortunately  found  the  young 
lady,  Nan  encountered  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss 
Helen.  "Happy  Fourth  of  July,"  cried  the 
girl.  "  Get  your  things  off,  please,  and  come 
right  in  to  tea  ;  it's  all  ready." 

"Good  child,"  answered  Miss  Helen.  "We 
are  ready  for  tea,  for  we  are  both  tired  out. 
There  was  so  much  red  tape  connected  with 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  21 

this  morning's  business.  We'll  be  right  in, 
Nan." 

"You  didn't  get  wet?" 

"  Fortunately  we  didn't,  for  we  had  a  cab." 

"  Good  !  then  you  won't  have  to  change  your 
gowns.  Don't  stop  to  prink,  mother  dear,  and 
come  as  soon  as  you  can."  She  stopped  to 
snatch  a  kiss  from  her  mother  and  hurried 
back.  Her  costume  had  indicated  that  some- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary  was  going  on,  but  the 
grown-ups  were  not  prepared  for  what  met  their 
eyes  when  they  entered  the  little  sitting-room. 

"Well,  if  this  isn't  just  like  you  children," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Corner  when  she  saw  the  array. 

"  Is  it  just  like  them  ? "  Miss  Joyce  turned 
with  an  appreciative  smile.  "  Then  all  I  have 
to  say  is  that  you  have  the  dearest  children  in 
the  world." 

The  entertainment  began  with  Jo's  patriotic 
speech  which  was  given  while  the  ladies  drank 
their  tea.  There  were  sly  hits  at  the  rights  and 
wrongs  of  foot  passengers  in  Paris,  references  to 
the  difficulties  of  the  French  language,  to  the 
law  forbidding  anything  to  be  placed  on  the 
window-sills,  to  the  lack  of  sweet  potatoes  and 
green  corn,  to  the  small  portions  of  ice-cream 
served,  and  the  whole  oration  was  full  of  such 
humor  as  brought  much  laughter  and  applause. 
Jo  was  always  happiest  in  such  impromptu 


22  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

speeches.  Next  each  girl  provided  with  a  comb 
covered  with  tissue-paper  gave  a  shrill  render- 
ing of  Yankee  Doodle  and  Dixie,  then  followed 
Mary  Lee's  breakdown,  and  next  Nan's  recita- 
tion. After  this  the  twins,  not  to  be  outdone,  sang 
a  ridiculous  negro  song,  patting  juba  as  they  did 
it.  The  whole  performance  ended  with  a  cake- 
walk  in  which  Nan  and  Jack  surpassed  them- 
selves, taking  the  cake  amid  much  laughter  and 
applause. 

"  I  haven't  laughed  so  much  for  a  year,"  said 
Miss  Joyce,  wiping  her  eyes.  "  I  must  confess 
to  having  felt  rather  blue  this  gloomy  day,  but 
you  dear  things  have  driven  my  homesickness 
so  far  away  that  I  don't  believe  there  is  any  dan- 
ger of  its  coming  back  for  a  long  time,  certainly 
not  while  you  are  in  the  house.  How  did  you 
think  of  all  this  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we  often  do  such  things  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment,"  Nan  told  her.  "  It's  much  more 
fun  than  to  plan  a  long  time  ahead.  We  never 
realized  what  day  it  was  till  Jo  chanced  to  see 
an  American  flag  hanging  from  a  window  near 
by.  You  know  down  in  Virginia  we  don't 
make  much  ado  over  the  Fourth,  but  here  in 
Paris  somehow  it  seemed  quite  different,  and 
we  suddenly  felt  wildly  patriotic,  so  we  had  to 
let  off  the  steam  in  some  way,  and  this  idea  of 
Jo's  was  very  easy  to  carry  out." 


The  Fourth  in  Paris  23 

"  It's  been  an  immense  success,"  Miss  Joyce 
assured  her.  "  The  decorations  are  so  original, 
and  such  costumes,  I  don't  see  how  you 
managed  to  get  them  up  in  such  a  short  time." 

Nan  looked  down  at  her  flaunting  blue  bows. 
"  It's  nothing  when  you're  used  to  depending 
upon  whatever  comes  handy.  This  blue  paper 
happened  to  came  around  a  package,  and  one 
can  pinch  up  a  couple  of  bows  in  no  time ;  as  for 
the  other  things,  it  just  means  a  little  ingenuity. 
When  we  were  out  in  California  we  used  to 
have  a  different  kind  of  tea  every  week,  and  it 
was  lots  of  fun  to  think  up  something  new." 

"  We  like  to  encourage  our  girls  to  exercise 
imagination  and  invention,"  Miss  Helen  re- 
marked. "  Nowadays  when  children  are  not 
encouraged  to  read  the  old-fashioned  fairy  tales, 
and  have  so  many  toys  that  they  never  have  a 
chance  to  invent  any  plays  for  themselves,  there 
is  danger  of  certain  fine  qualities  of  mind  being 
left  out  of  the  composition  of  the  coming  genera- 
tion." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Miss  Joyce. 
"  Creatures  of  '  fire  and  dew  and  spirit '  must 
feed  on  different  mental  food  from  the  ordinary, 
and  I'm  sure  your  girls  will  always  possess  in- 
dividuality." 

"  That  is  what  we  are  aiming  for,"  returned 
Miss  Helen. 


24  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Jack's  intention  was  so  good,  that  she  was 
spared  a  scolding  on  account  of  the  shoes,  and 
the  afternoon  ended  happily  though  it  continued 
to  rain  dismally.  Jack,  it  may  be  said  in  pass- 
ing, seldom  allowed  an  occasion  to  go  by  with- 
out getting  into  some  sort  of  scrape,  and  that 
she  had  done  nothing  worse  than  spoil  a  pair  of 
inexpensive  white  shoes  was  really  to  her 
credit.  Jean  admired  her  own  red  strappings  so 
unreservedly  that  she  continued  to  wear  the 
decorations  till  bedtime,  while  Nan's  cockade 
still  adorned  her  head  at  the  dinner  table. 

"  We  shall  pass  but  one  more  national  holi- 
day over  here,"  she  remarked,  "and  what's  the 
sense  of  being  in  a  foreign  country  if  you  can't 
remember  your  own  sometimes !  To  be  sure 
the  tri-color  is  French,  too,  but  it  means  the 
United  States  to  us."  So  ended  this  Fourth  of 
July  which  was  a  day  long  remembered. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  DAY  OF  BASTILLE 


CHAPTER  II 
THE    DAY  OF  BASTILLE 

M  AD  AMELEMERCIER  smiled  indulgently  when 
the  afternoon's  celebration  was  described  to  her. 
"  Ah,  but  you  will  be  here  on  our  great  day," 
she  said.  "  And  then,  my  friends,  you  will  see. 
Paris  is  gay  like  that  upon  our  holiday.  If  you 
have  your  Forrs  July,  and  your  great  Vashing- 
ton,  we  have  our  Fourteen  July,  our  day  of 
Bastille.  We  must  zen  see  ze  city,  ze  illumina- 
tion, ze  dance,  ze  pyrotechnic  at  night.  You 
will  allow,  madame,"  she  turned  to  Mrs.  Corner, 
"  that  your  demoiselles  have  ze  freedom  not  en- 
couraged at  ozzer  time.  Ve  are  a  free  peoples 
more  as  before,  upon  zat  day.  Each  does  as  he 
will,  but  we  do  not  abuse,  no,  we  do  not  take 
advantage  of  ze  liberte,  for  zough  we  rejoice  we 
do  not  forget  our  native  politeness.  It  will  be 
perfectly  safe,  zough  a  gentleman  escort  or  two 
will  not  be  of  objection." 

"What  does  Bastille  mean,  anyway?"  whis- 
pered Jack  to  Jean  as  they  left  the  dining-room 
together.  "Is  it  anything  like  pastilles,  those 
funny  sweet-smelling  things  we  had  in  Califor- 


28  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

nia  ?  Maybe  she  said  Pastille,  though  it  sounded 
more  like  Bas  than  Pas." 

"  I  don't  know  which  it  was,"  confessed  Jean. 
"I  wasn't  thinking  much  about  anything  she 
was  saying.  You'd  better  ask  Nan;  she'll 
know." 

"  Did  Madame  say  Bas  or  Pas  ? "  Jack  put 
her  question. 

"  She  said  Bastille,"  Nan  told  her,  "  and  it 
isn't  a  bit  like  the  pastilles  you  have  in  mind. 
In  fact  there  isn't  any  more  Bastille  at  all.  Do 
you  remember  when  we  went  to  Mt.  Vernon 
that  we  saw  the  big  key  there?" 

"  I  believe  I  do  remember  something  like  a 
big  key.  What  was  it  the  key  of?  I  for- 
get." 

"  The  Bastille  was  a  great  big  fortress  or  cas- 
tle, and  was  where  they  used  to  imprison  nobles 
and  other  people  who  had  offended  the  govern- 
ment or  whom  the  kings  wanted  to  get  rid  of. 
It  was  a  very  massive  and  strong  place.  Its 
walls  were  ten  feet  thick,  and  it  had  eight  great 
towers.  It  was  a  terrible  place,  and  when  the 
Revolution  began  one  of  the  first  things  the 
Revolutionists  wanted  to  destroy  was  the  great 
fortress,  so  they  cried, '  Down  with  the  Bastille ! ' 
Then  they  had  a  tremendous  fight  over  it,  for 
to  the  mass  of  people  it  represented  the  power 
of  the  monarchy,  and  to  the  monarchy  and  the 


The  Day  of  Bastille  29 

nobles  it  meant  their  greatest  stronghold.  At 
last  the  Revolutionists  got  in,  and  it  was  des- 
troyed, blown  to  pieces.  The  fight  took  place 
on  the  fourteenth  of  July  and  that  is  why  they 
celebrate  the  day  as  we  do  our  Fourth.  It  will 
be  good  fun  to  see  what  they  do,  I  think." 

"  But  it  is  ten  days  off.  What  are  we  going 
to  do  till  then  ?  " 

"  Lawsee,  you  silly  child,  there  will  be  plenty 
to  do.  We're  going  to  Versailles  and  to  St. 
Cloud,  to  the  Musee  de  Cluny,  to  Pere  le  Chaise, 
to  the  Louvre,  and  dozens  of  other  places." 

"  I  want  to  go  up  the  tour  Eiffel,"  said  Jack, 
who  delighted  in  such  performances,  the  higher 
up  the  better. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  not  rest  till  you  get  there," 
returned  Nan  laughing. 

Indeed,  there  was  enough  to  do  in  the  next 
ten  days  to  keep  every  one  busy,  for  each  had 
some  special  wish  to  be  fulfilled  and  where  there 
were  five  youngsters  to  satisfy,  there  was  little 
danger  of  time  hanging  heavily  on  their  hands. 
Mary  Lee  loved  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  Jo  never 
tired  of  the  boulevards,  and  delighted  in  riding 
on  the  tops  of  the  omnibuses.  Nan  reveled  in 
the  Louvre  and  the  Musee  de  Cluny,  Jean  liked 
the  Luxembourg  gardens,  the  Tuilleries  and  the 
river,  Jack  wanted  to  climb  to  the  top  of  every 
accessible  steeple  and  tower  in  the  city.  When- 


30  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

ever  a  church  was  being  discussed  her  first  in- 
quiry was  always,  "  Has  it  a  tower  ?  " 

Paris  was  too  full  of  opportunities  for  Jack  to 
miss  anything  that  was  in  the  least  feasible,  and 
she  was  always  so  innocently  unconscious  of 
doing  anything  out  of  the  way  that  it  was  hard 
to  make  her  realize  that  she  must  be  censured. 
As  Miss  Helen  said,  it  was  all  the  point  of  view, 
and  from  Jack's  standpoint,  if  you  did  but 
tell  the  truth,  did  no  one  harm,  and  pursued 
what  seemed  a  rational  and  agreeable  course, 
why  stand  on  the  manner  of  doing  it  ?  She  and 
Jean  were  allowed  to  play  in  the  Bois  within 
certain  limits,  for  it  was  very  near  to  their  pen- 
sion, and  they  could  be  found  readily  by  one  of 
their  elders  if  they  were  wanted. 

"  But,"  said  Mrs.  Corner,  "  you  must  not  go 
further  without  some  older  person  with  you." 
This  order  the  children  always  fulfilled  to  the  let- 
ter and  Mrs.  Corner  felt  perfectly  safe  about 
them. 

But  one  morning,  Jean  chose  to  go  back  to 
the  house  for  something  she  wanted,  and  on  her 
return  Jack  was  nowhere  in  sight.  Jean  waited 
patiently  for  a  while,  and  then  not  daring  to  go 
beyond  bounds,  she  returned  to  the  house  to 
report.  Nan  immediately  left  her  practicing  to 
go  in  search  of  her  little  sister.  She  ventured, 
herself,  further  than  ever  before,  but  after  a  long 


The  Day  of  Bastille  31 

and  fruitless  hunt  came  back  to  where  Jean  had 
been  left  as  sentry,  this  being  the  spot  where 
she  had  parted  from  her  twin. 

Nan  was  not  easily  scared  about  Jack,  but 
this  time  she  felt  there  was  cause  for  anxiety. 
Suppose  she  had  fallen  into  the  lake  ;  suppose 
she  had  been  beguiled  away  by  some  beggar 
who  would  strip  her  of  her  clothes  and  hold  her 
for  a  ransom.  Nan  had  heard  of  such  things. 
"  I  hate  to  go  back  and  tell  mother,"  she  mur- 
mured. 

Jean  began  to  cry.  "  Oh,  Nan,  do  you  think 
she  could  have  been  run  over  by  an  automo- 
bile? "  she  asked. 

Nan  shook  her  head  gravely.  "I'm  sure  I 
don't  know,  Jean.  She  always  manages  to  turn 
up  all  right,  and  has  the  most  plausible  reasons 
for  doing  as  she  does,  but  this  time  I  cannot 
imagine  where  she  could  have  gone.  Mother 
and  Aunt  Helen  are  both  at  home  and  so  are 
Jo  and  Mary  Lee,  so  she  could  not  have  gone 
anywhere  with  one  of  them."  She  again  looked 
anxiously  up  the  road. 

"  Oh,  there  she  is,"  suddenly  cried  Jean  in 
joyful  tones. 

"Where?  Where?"  cried  Nan  grasping 
Jean's  shoulder. 

"  In  that  cab  coming  this  way.  Don't  you 
see  her  ?  " 


32 


The  Four  Corners  Abroad 


Nan  waited  till  the  cab  stopped,  then  she 
rushed  forward  to  see  Jack  clamber  down  from 
the  side  of  the  red-faced  cocker,  shake  hands 
with  two  gaudily  dressed  women  of  the 
bourgeois  class,  and  walk  calmly  off  while  the 
cab  drove  on. 

"Jack  Corner!"  cried  Nan,  not  refraining 
from  giving  the  child  a  little  shake,  "  where 
have  you  been  ?  Do  you  know  you  have 
scared  Jean  and  me  nearly  to  death?  Poor 
little  Jean  has  been  crying  her  eyes  out  about 
you." 

"What  for?"  asked  Jack  with  a  look  of 
surprise. 

"  Because  she  was  afraid  you  had  been  run 
over  or  had  fallen  in  the  lake.  Where  have 
you  been  ?  " 

"  Just  taking  a  ride  around,"  said  Jack  non- 
chalantly. "You  might  have  known,  Nan," 
she  went  on  in  a  tone  of  injured  innocence,  "  that 
I  wouldn't  go  anywhere  without  an  older  person 
when  mother  said  we  were  not  to,  and  there 
were  three  older  persons  with  me." 

"But  didn't  you  realize  that  Jean  wouldn't 
know  where  you  had  gone,  and  that  she  would 
be  frightened  about  you  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  think  we  would  be  gone  so  long," 
returned  Jack.  "You  see  I  know  the  cocker 
quite  well.  He  has  a  dear  little  dog  he  lets  me 


The  Day  of  Bastille  33 

play  with  sometimes.  Aunt  Helen  always  tries 
to  have  this  man  when  she  can,  so  to-day  when 
he  asked  me  if  I  didn't  want  to  ride  back  with 
him,  he  was  going  back  to  the  stand,  you 
see,  I  said,  Oui,  monsieur,  de  tout  mon  cceur, 
and  so  I  got  up.  Then  just  as  we  were  going 
to  start  those  two  ladies  came  along." 

"  Ladies  ! "  exclaimed  Nan  contemptuously. 

"  One  of  them  had  beautiful  feathers  in  her 
hat,"  returned  Jack  defiantly. 

"  Well,  never  mind.     Go  on." 

"They  wanted  to  take  a  drive,  but  they 
wanted  to  pay  very  little  for  it,  and  finally  the 
cocker  said  if  I  could  go,  too,  he  would  take 
them  for  a  franc  and  a  half.  So  they  went  and 
they  stopped  quite  a  time ;  we  had  to  wait,  the 
cocker  and  I." 

"  Where  was  the  place  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  It  was  somewhere  that  you 
get  things  to  eat  and  drink.  They  didn't  ask 
me  to  take  any  of  what  they  were  having." 

"  I  should  hope  not.  So  then  you  waited, 
and  the  cocker  brought  you  back  ?  " 

Jack  nodded.  "  Hm,  hm.  He  was  going  to 
take  the  ladies  further,  so  when  I  saw  you  and 
Jean  I  said  I  would  get  down,  and  here  I  am 
all  safe  and  sound,"  she  added  cheerfully. 

"  You  ought  to  be  spanked  and  put  to  bed," 
said  Nan  severely. 


34  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Jack  looked  at  her  with  wide-eyed  reproach. 
"  Why,  Nan,"  she  said,  "  I  didn't  do  a  thing  to 
make  you  say  that.  He  is  a  very  nice  cocker; 
his  name  is  Francois,  and  I  am  sure  I  minded 
mother.  It  would  have  been  quite  different  if  I 
had  gone  off  anywhere  alone.  Mother  said  an 
older  person,  and  Frangois  is  very  old  ;  he  must 
be  forty." 

"  Well,"  returned  Nan,  "  mother  will  tell  you 
that  you  are  not  to  go  anywhere  with  strange 
cockers,  or  strange  any  other  persons,  and  that 
will  be  the  last  of  that  sort  of  performance." 

Jack  gave  a  deep  sigh,  as  of  one  misunder- 
stood. It  was  very  hard  to  keep  up  with  the 
exactions  of  her  family  who  were  continually 
hedging  her  about  with  some  new  condition. 

After  this  the  days  passed  quietly  till  the 
fourteenth  came  around.  Madame  Lemercier 
pronounced  the  city  deserted,  while  Miss  Joyce 
declared  it  might  be  by  Parisians,  but  was  taken 
possession  of  by  American  tourists.  The  Cor- 
ners, however,  wondered  whether  it  could  be 
possible  that  it  ever  held  any  more  than  those 
who  crowded  the  streets  that  evening  when  they 
ail  set  out  to  see  the  sights.  Along  the  Seine 
they  concluded  they  would  be  able  to  see  more 
than  elsewhere,  so  they  made  the  Louvre  and 
the  Palais  Royal  their  destination.  The  streets 
were  full  of  a  good-natured,  jostling  throng. 


The  Day  of  Bastille  35 

Every  now  and  then  the  party  would  come 
upon  some  dancers  footing  it  gaily  in  some 
"place"  or  at  some  street  corner.  The  cafes 
were  thronged,  and  there  were  venders  of  all 
sorts  driving  a  thriving  trade.  From  the 
bridges  ascended  splendid  fireworks  which 
were  continually  cheered  by  the  gaping  spec- 
tators. Illuminations  brightened  the  entire 
way.  No  one  forbade  joking,  singing  students 
to  walk  abreast  so  they  would  take  up  the 
entire  sidewalk,  for  no  one  minded  walking 
around  them. 

"  One  can  scarcely  imagine  what  it  must  have 
been  during  that  dreadful  Reign  of  Terror,"  said 
Nan  to  her  aunt  when  they  reached  the  "  Place 
de  la  Concorde."  "  This  jolly,  contented  crowd 
of  people  is  very  different  from  the  bloodthirsty 
mob  that  gloried  in  the  guillotine  then.  Just 
over  there  the  guillotine  was  set  up,  wasn't  it  ? 
And,  somewhere  near,  those  horrible  fishwives 
sat  knitting  and  telling  of  the  number  of  the 
poor  victims.  I  think  this  '  Place  de  la  Con- 
corde '  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  spots  in 
Paris,  but  I  can  never  pass  it  without  a  shud- 
der." 

"Too  much  imagination  on  this  occasion, 
Nan,"  said  her  aunt.  "  You  must  not  let  your 
mind  dwell  upon  such  things  when  you  are  try- 
ing to  have  a  good  time.  One  could  be  miser- 


36  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

able  anywhere,  remembering  past  history.  I 
am  sure  to-night  doesn't  suggest  an  angry 
mob.  Don't  let  us  lose  our  party.  We  must 
keep  an  eye  on  them.  I  thought  I  saw  Jack 
wriggle  ahead,  through  the  crowd,  by  her- 
self." 

"I'll  dash  on  and  get  her,"  said  Nan,  " and 
stand  still  till  you  all  come  up."  She  managed 
to  get  hold  of  Jack  before  the  child  was  wholly 
swallowed  up  in  the  crowd,  and  cautioned  her 
to  keep  close  to  the  others  if  she  would  not  lose 
them. 

But  Jack  was  always  resourceful  and  inde- 
pendent. "  It  wouldn't  make  any  difference  if 
I  did  lose  you  all,"  she  declared.  "  I  could 
find  my  way  back,  and  the  concierge  would  let 
me  in." 

"That  cross  old  creature?  I  shouldn't  like 
to  bother  him,"  returned  Nan.  "  He  is  an  old 
beast." 

"  Oh,  no,  he  isn't  always.  If  you  call  him 
monsieur  often  enough  he  gets  quite  pleasant," 
Jack  assured  her. 

"  I'll  be  bound  for  you,"  Nan  answered. 
"  We  must  stand  here,  Jack,  till  the  others  come 
up.  Don't  you  think  it  is  fun?  I  can't  im- 
agine where  so  many  people  came  from,  all 
sorts  and  conditions." 

" 1  think  it  is  very  nice,"  returned  Jack,  "  but 


The  Day  of  Bastille  37 

I  wish  Carter  were  here  with  his  automobile, 
and  I  wish  he  were  here  anyhow,  so  he  could 
dance  with  me.  I'd  love  to  go  dance  out  in  the 
street  with  the  rest  of  the  people.  Won't  you 
come  dance  with  me,  Nan?" 

"  I'd  look  pretty,  a  great  long-legged  girl 
like  me  in  a  crowd  of  French  '  bonnes '  and 
'  blanchtsseuse,' wouldn't  I  ?  Suppose  we  should 
be  seen  by  some  of  our  friends,  what  would  they 
think  to  see  me  twirling  around  in  the  midst  of 
such  a  gang  as  this  ?  " 

But  in  spite  of  this  scoffing  on  Nan's  part, 
Jack  was  not  easily  rid  of  her  desire,  and  looked 
with  longing  eyes  upon  each  company  of  dan- 
cers they  passed.  Nan  managed  to  keep  a 
pretty  strict  lookout  for  her  little  sister,  but 
finally  she  escaped  in  an  unguarded  moment, 
and  was  suddenly  missed. 

"She  is  the  most  trying  child,"  said  Mary 
Lee,  who  had  experienced  no  difficulty  in  keep- 
ing the  tractable  Jean  in  tow. 

"  Jack  gets  so  carried  away  by  things  of  the 
moment,"  said  Nan,  always  ready  to  make  ex- 
cuses for  her  little  sister.  "  She  gets  perfectly 
lost  to  everything  but  what  is  interesting  her  at 
the  time,  and  forgets  to  keep  her  mind  on  any- 
thing else.  I'll  go  ahead  as  I  did  before,  and 
probably  I  shall  find  her." 

But  no   Jack  was   to  be  discovered.     Mary 


38  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Lee  scolded,  Jean  began  to  cry  and  Mrs.  Corner 
looked  worried. 

"  We  can't  leave  the  child  by  herself  in  the 
streets  of  Paris  on  such  a  night  as  this,"  she 
said  anxiously.  "There  is  no  telling  what 
might  happen  to  her." 

"  Don't  bother,  mother  dear,"  said  Nan. 
"  I'm  sure  she  can't  be  a  great  way  off.  You 
and  some  of  the  others  stand  here,  and  I'll  go 
ahead  with  Aunt  Helen.  We'll  come  back  to 
you  in  a  few  minutes." 

"  I  verily  believe  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  her," 
suddenly  exclaimed  Jo. 

"  Where?"  asked  Nan,  craning  her  neck. 

"  Over  there  where  you  hear  the  music." 

"She's  possessed  about  the  dancing  in  the 
streets,  and  very  likely  she  is  watching  the 
dancing." 

They  all  moved  over  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  music  came,  and  there,  sure  enough, 
in  the  centre  of  a  company  of  dancers,  was 
Jack  with  a  round  black-whiskered  Frenchman, 
whirling  merrily  to  the  strains  of  a  violin. 

Nan  and  her  Aunt  Helen  edged  their  way  to 
the  outskirts  of  the  circle  of  onlookers,  and  then 
Nan  forced  herself  nearer.  "  Jack,"  she  called. 
"  Jack,  come  right  here." 

Jack  cast  a  glance  over  her  shoulder,  gave 
several  more  twirls,  and  was  finally  surrendered 


The  Day  of  Bastille  39 

to  her  proper  guardians  by  the  rotund  French- 
man who  made  a  low  bow  with  heels  together 
as  he  bade  adieu  to  his  little  partner. 

"  I  did  it,  Nan,  I  did  it,"  announced  Jack  joy- 
fully. "  He  was  a  nice  man  and  he  called  me 
la  petite  Americaine.  He  has  a  brother  in  New 
York  and  was  so  pleased  when  I  told  him  I  had 
been  there.  He  is  a  barber  and  he  gave  me  a 
flower."  She  produced  a  rose  proudly. 

"  Come  right  over  here  to  mother,"  said  Nan, 
paying  small  attention  to  what  Jack  was  say- 
ing. "  She  is  worried  to  death  about  you." 

"  Why  ? "  asked  Jack  in  her  usual  tone  of 
surprise  when  such  a  condition  of  affairs  was 
mentioned.  "  Madame  Lemercier  said  on 
Bastille  day  every  one  could  do  just  what  she 
wanted,  and  I  am  sure  I  was  only  doing  what 
dozens  and  hundreds  of  other  people  were 
doing.  What  was  there  wrong  about  it,  Aunt 
Helen  ?  " 

She  looked  so  aggrieved  and  innocent,  that 
Miss  Helen,  between  smiles  and  frowns,  could 
only  ejaculate,  "  Oh,  Jack,  Jack,  there  is  no  doing 
anything  with  you." 

Even  after  she  had  joined  her  mother  and 
had  been  told  how  alarmed  Mrs.  Corner  had 
been,  Jack  could  not  see  the  least  indiscretion 
in  joining  in  the  dance.  "  Anybody  could  do  it," 
she  said,  "  and  you  didn't  have  to  pay  a  cent" 


40  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  It  is  the  question  of  Jack's  point  of  view 
again,"  said  Miss  Helen  to  Mrs.  Corner.  "  Jack 
has  been  told  that  every  one  in  Paris  does  as  he 
or  she  chooses  upon  the  fourteenth  of  July,  and 
why  not  she  with  the  rest  ?  She  could  under- 
stand Nan's  not  caring  to  dance  because  she  ob- 
jected to  being  conspicuous ;  as  to  any  other 
reason,  it  never  entered  the  child's  head."  So, 
as  usual,  Jack  got  off  with  a  mild  reproof,  and 
the  party  went  on  their  way  without  further 
trouble,  Miss  Helen  and  Nan  keeping  Jack  be- 
tween them,  and  Nan  never  letting  go  for  one 
instant  her  hold  upon  Jack's  arm. 

To  the  two  youngest  of  the  company  there 
was  a  great  excitement  in  being  up  so  late  in 
the  Paris  streets,  and  when  they  stopped  at  a 
cafe,  less  crowded  than  most,  and  in  a  quiet 
street,  to  have  limonade  gaseuse,  their  satisfac- 
tion was  complete. 

After  this  there  was  less  sightseeing,  for  Miss 
Helen  and  Mrs.  Corner  had  shopping  to  do, 
and  Nan  had  an  object  in  making  the  most  of 
her  time  in  Paris,  as  she  was  anxious  to  add  to 
her  knowledge  of  French,  intending  to  specialize 
in  languages  when  she  entered  college.  Mary 
Lee,  with  not  so  correct  an  ear,  acquired  facility 
less  easily,  and  Jo  declared  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  herself  ever  to  get  rid  of  her  Ameri- 
can accent.  But  it  was  Jack  who  soon  picked 


The  Day  of  Bastille  41 

up  a  surprising  vocabulary  which  she  used  to 
the  utmost  advantage,  jabbering  away  with 
whomsoever  she  came  in  contact,  be  it  some 
cocker  or  the  learned  professor  who  sat  next  her 
at  table,  the  chambermaids  or  Madame  Letner- 
cier  herself,  with  whom  the  girls  had  lessons. 
Jack  had  not  the  least  self-consciousness,  and 
never  feared  ridicule.  Jean,  more  timid,  would 
have  learned  little,  if  her  twin  had  not  urged  her 
to  exert  herself,  forcing  her  to  speak  when  they 
encountered  some  little  French  girls  in  the  Bois. 

These  little  girls  came  every  day  for  an 
orderly  walk  with  their  governess,  and  for  a  dis- 
creet hour  of  play.  Jack  liked  their  looks,  and 
was  determined  to  make  their  acquaintance. 
She  accordingly  smiled  most  beguilingly  upon 
them  but  for  some  time  could  win  no  more  than 
shy  smiles  in  return. 

"  I  mean  to  make  them  speak  to  me,"  she 
told  Jean. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  do  it  ?  "  asked  Jean. 
"  Maybe  their  governess  won't  let  them  speak  to 
strangers.  She  looks  very  prim." 

"  I  reckon  she  only  looks  that  way  because 
she  is  French,"  returned  Jack,  nothing  daunted. 
"  I  saw  her  watch  me  playing  Diabolo,  and  I 
know  she  thinks  I  do  it  well." 

"  You're  awfully  stuck  up  about  it,"  replied 
Jean,  herself  less  expert. 


42  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  No,  I'm  not.  I  can  play  much  better  than 
some  of  those  great  big  girls,  and  I  know  I  can, 
so  what  is  the  use  of  pretending  I  don't?" 

However,  it  was  not  this  which  won  the 
response  Jack  hoped  for,  but  it  was  because 
chance  gave  her  the  opportunity  of  returning  a 
book  which  the  governess  left  on  a  bench  one 
day.  Jack  saw  it  after  the  demure  little  girls 
had  gone,  and  she  pounced  upon  it,  carrying  it 
triumphantly  home  and  presenting  it  the  next 
day  to  the  owner  with  a  polite  little  speech. 
The  thanks  she  received  made  a  sufficient 
wedge  for  Jack  and  she  was  soon  talking 
affably  to  the  little  girls  as  well  as  to  the  gov- 
erness. Jack  could  be  the  most  entertaining  of 
persons,  and  it  was  no  time  before  she  had  an 
absorbed  audience.  After  this  it  was  a  com- 
mon occurrence  for  the  twins  to  meet  Paulette 
and  Clemence  in  the  Bois,  and  the  little  French 
girls  were  never  refused  permission  to  play  with 
the  two  Americans. 


CHAPTER  III 
HOUSEKEEPING 


CHAPTER  III 

HOUSEKEEPING 

"  IT  is  certainly  a  question  which  is  hard  to 
settle,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  one  morning  to  her 
sister-in-law.  "I've  just  been  talking  to 
Madame,  and  she  thinks  she  must  go." 

"Go  where?  What's  a  hard  question?" 
asked  Nan  looking  up  from  a  page  of  translat- 
ing. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  have  to  make  a  change," 
her  mother  told  her.  "  Madame  Lemercier 
has  decided  that  she  must  close  her  house  for 
the  remainder  of  the  summer  and  go  to  her  sis- 
ter who  has  taken  a  villa  in  Switzerland,  filled  it 
with  demoiselles  and  has  now  fallen  ill." 

"There  are  loads  and  loads  of  pensions"  re- 
turned Nan. 

"  Yes,  but  we  want  just  the  right  one.  This 
suits  us  in  so  many  particulars  that  I  am  afraid 
we  shall  never  chance  upon  its  like  again. 
Here  we  have  pleasant,  airy  rooms,  an  adequate 
table,  and  good  service.  We  are  near  the  Bois, 
and  the  trams,  yet  we  escape  the  noise  of  the 
city.  To  be  sure  it  would  be  more  convenient 
to  be  nearer  the  shops  and  some  other  things, 


46  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

but,  take  it  all  in  all,  I  am  afraid  we  are  going 
to  find  it  hard  to  select.  I  do  so  hate  to  go  the 
rounds  ;  it  is  so  very  exhausting." 

"  Aunt  Helen  and  I  will  do  it.  Mother  must 
not  think  of  wearing  herself  out  in  that  way, 
must  she,  Aunt  Helen  ?  " 

"Of  course  not,"  replied  Miss  Helen. 
"  There  is  one  thing  you  must  consider,  Mary, 
and  that  is  your  health  before  anything  else, 
and  we  shall  all  raise  a  protest  against  your 
doing  any  tiring  thing  like  hunting  up 
pensions" 

"  You  make  me  feel  that  I  am  a  very  worth- 
less, doless  creature,"  returned  Mrs.  Corner. 

"We  want  to  keep  you  right  along  with  us 
wherever  we  are,"  Nan  remarked.  "  I,  for  one, 
have  no  idea  of  having  you  rush  off  to  Lausanne 
or  some  such  place  and  leave  us  to  our  own  de- 
vices here  in  Paris,  and  that  is  what  it  will 
amount  to  if  you  don't  take  care  of  yourself." 

"  Hear  the  child,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Corner. 
"  You  would  think  she  was  the  mother  and  I 
the  daughter.  I  dare  say  you  are  right,  Nan, 
and  I  meekly  accept  the  situation,  in  spite  of 
your  superior  manner." 

"  Nan's  had  so  much  responsibility  with  the 
younger  children,"  put  in  Miss  Helen,  "  that  it 
comes  quite  natural  to  her  to  bring  any  one  to 
task." 


Housekeeping  47 

"Was  I  superior?"  asked  Nan,  going  over 
to  her  mother  and  caressing  her.  "I  didn't 
mean  to  be.  You  are  so  precious,  you  see, 
that  I  have  to  think  about  what  you  ought  and 
what  you  oughtn't  to  do." 

"  I  quite  understand,  dear  child,  though  it 
does  make  me  feel  ashamed  of  myself  to  have 
to  give  up  my  duties." 

"  Your  duty  is  to  coddle  yourself  all  that  is 
necessary,"  Miss  Helen  told  her,  "and  this 
matter  of  changing  our  pension  is  to  be  left  to 
Nan  and  me." 

"  Bravo ! "  cried  Nan.  "  When  you  use  that 
authoritative  manner,  Aunt  Helen,  we  all  of  us 
have  to  give  in,  don't  we,  mother  ?  " 

"  I  know  I  do,"  laughed  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  How  should  you  like  to  take  a  furnished 
apartment?  "  asked  Miss  Helen  after  a  moment's 
thought.  "  I  shouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  but 
that  my  friend,  Miss  Selby,  could  tell  us  of  one. 
You  could  have  a  maid  who  would  relieve  you 
of  all  care,  and  Paris  is  full  of  French  teachers, 
so  the  children  could  go  on  with  their  lessons. 
We  have  not  much  more  shopping  to  do,  so 
you  could  sit  back  and  rest." 

"  I  believe  I  should  like  that  plan,"  answered 
Mrs.  Corner.  "  It  has  been  so  long  since  we 
had  anything  like  a  home  that  it  would  be  a 
very  pleasant  change." 


48  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  I  think  it  would  be  perfectly  lovely,"  de- 
clared Nan.  "  I've  always  longed  for  an  apart- 
ment in  Paris,  since  I  heard  Miss  Dolores  tell 
about  the  way  her  cousins  used  to  live  here. 
By  the  way,  we  ought  to  be  hearing  from  Mr. 
St.  Nick.  And  what  about  England,  Aunt 
Helen  ?  " 

"  We'll  get  this  other  matter  settled  first,  and 
then  we'll  see  what  is  to  be  done  next.  Your 
mother  declares  she  wants  no  more  of  England 
after  her  last  rainy,  chilly  experience  there,  and 
I  am  not  sure  it  would  be  best  for  her  to  ven- 
ture. She  is  tired,  and  I  think  a  rest  is  desirable 
for  her."  Mrs.  Corner  had  left  the  room  to 
speak  again  to  Madame  Lemercier. 

"  Shall  we  go  at  once  to  see  Miss  Selby  ?  " 
asked  Nan.  "  She  has  such  a  dear  little  studio, 
and  has  been  in  Paris  so  long  that  I  am  sure 
she  can  help  us  out,  Aunt  Helen." 

"  We  may  as  well  start  at  once,"  agreed  Miss 
Helen.  "  Go  get  on  your  things,  and  I  will  be 
ready  in  a  few  minutes." 

"I  was  thinking,"  said  Nan  when  she  re- 
turned, a  little  later,  "that  Miss  Joyce  might 
like  to  come  and  help  to  overlook  the  children, 
when  we  older  ones  are  not  on  hand.  She  will 
be  adrift  after  Madame  goes,  and  she  is  not 
well  off,  you  know.  She  speaks  French  like  a 
native,  and  she  might  relieve  mother  of  some 


Housekeeping  49 

care.  She  is  fond  of  the  kiddies  and  if  we 
should  happen  to  take  that  trip  to  England,  we 
would  feel  more  comfortable  about  leaving 
mother  here." 

"  That  isn't  a  bad  idea,"  returned  Miss  Helen, 
"and  we  may  be  able  to  follow  it  up  if  the 
apartment  becomes  a  fixed  fact." 

The  two  started  off,  and  were  gone  all  morn- 
ing, not  even  appearing  at  the  midday  meal. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  they  came  back  looking 
rather  tired,  but  triumphant.  "We've  found 
it,"  cried  Nan ;  "  the  dearest  place." 

"  What  have  you  found  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee, 
who,  with  Jo  and  Mrs.  Corner,  was  in  the  sitting- 
room. 

"  Haven't  you  told  her,  mother?"  said  Nan. 
"  Good !  then  I'll  have  all  the  fun  of  breaking 
the  news.  We're  going  from  here.  Madame 
Lemercier's  going.  We  are  all  going." 

"Are  you  trying  to  conjugate  is  going?" 
asked  Mary  Lee. 

"  No.  Wait  a  minute  and  I'll  tell  you. 
Madame  Lemercier  has  to  close  this  house  be- 
cause her  sister  is  ill  in  Switzerland.  Result, 
the  Corners  are  thrown  out  upon  the  wide  wide 
world.  Aunt  Helen  and  I  have  been  to  see 
Miss  Selby — you  know  Miss  Selby,  Mary  Lee, 
the  one  who  has  that  pretty  studio,  and  is  so 
entertaining — well,  my  child,  listen ;  she  knew 


co  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

of  exactly  what  we  want  in  the  apartment- 
house  where  she  is.  Another  artist  has  an 
apartment  there,  a  big  one,  and  he  is  very 
eager  to  rent  it  because  he  wants  to  go  to 
Brittany.  We  looked  at  it  and  it  will  be  all 
right,  I  think,  though  it  has  one  bedroom 
short.  However,  we  can  eat  in  the  living- 
room,  and  put  up  a  cot  in  the  dining-room  for 
me  or  somebody.  There  is  &femme  de  menage 
who  goes  with  the  apartment,  and  we  can  rent 
everything,  even  the  table  linen,  the  Huttons 
say.  It's  awfully  cheap,  too." 

"  Where  is  it?"  asked  Mrs.  Corner. 

"Over  in  the  Luxembourg  quarter,  mother 
mine,  convenient  to  everything.  Do  let's  go." 

"It  sounds  all  right,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 
"What  did  you  think  of  it,  Helen?" 

"  It  seemed  just  the  thing  to  me,  and  we 
were  most  lucky  to  find  it,  I  think.  The 
Huttons  go  out  on  Monday,  and  we  can  move 
right  in,  bag  and  baggage,  as  soon  after  as 
we  choose.  Of  course  it  is  very  artistic  with 
sketches  and  studies  on  the  walls,  but  it  looked 
comfortable,  and  Mrs.  Hutton  seems  to  be  a 
good  housekeeper." 

"It  would  be  better  if  we  could  remain  this 
side  the  river,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  doubtfully. 
"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  rather  hot  over  there." 

"  It  is  quite  near  the  Luxembourg  Gardens, 


Housekeeping  51 

and  I  noticed  the  rooms  appeared  airy  and  well 
ventilated.  We  are  hardly  likely  to  have 
warmer  weather  than  that  of  the  past  week." 

"  True.  July  is  the  hottest  month.  I'll  go 
to-morrow  and  look  at  the  place,  if  you  can  go 
with  me,  Helen.  We  may  as  well  settle  it  at 
once  if  it  is  satisfactory." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted  to  go  with  you,  my 
dear,"  returned  Miss  Helen. 

Jo,  listening,  looked  rather  subdued  and 
thoughtful. 

"  Won't  it  be  fun  ?  "  said  Nan  in  an  aside. 

"  For  you,  yes." 

"  And  why  not  for  Miss  Josephine  Keyes, 
pray?" 

"  I  shall  have  to  rejoin  Miss  Barnes  and  her 
girls.  You  know  it  was  just  because  we  re- 
arranged the  schedule  so  I'd  have  the  chance 
to  stay  longer  and  give  more  time  to  French 
and  German,  that  I  was  allowed  to  slip  out  of 
the  party  while  they  were  doing  Holland  and 
Belgium." 

"  But  it  will  be  some  time  before  they  come 
to  snatch  you,  and  you  surely  will  not  desert  us." 

Jo  brightened  visibly.  "  Oh,  would  you  really 
take  me  in,  too?  I  thought  maybe  I  would 
have  to  do  something  else  ;  go  into  a  school  or 
something.  I'm  here  for  study,  you  see." 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  thought 


ci  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

we  would  leave  a  single  lamb  to  the  ravening 
wolves  of  Paris?"  said  Nan.  "I  thought  bet- 
ter of  you,  Jo." 

"  But  I  would  be  perfectly  safe  in  a  convent  or 
somewhere." 

"  Nature llement,  but  you  don't  go  there  unless 
you  have  a  distinct  yearning  to  do  it.  You  are 
in  mother's  charge  and  she  means  to  keep  you 
under  her  eye." 

"Then  I  must  be  the  one  to  sleep  in  the 
dining-room." 

"  I've  staked  out  that  claim  myself.  You  are 
to  room  with  Mary  Lee  ;  we  have  settled  it  all." 

The  visit  to  the  apartment  was  made  by  Mrs. 
Corner  the  next  day,  and  resulted  as  Nan  hoped 
it  would,  so  the  following  Monday  saw  them 
move  in  with  their  belongings.  Miss  Joyce, 
upon  being  interviewed,  was  delighted  to  ac- 
cept the  proposition  made  her,  but  as  there  was 
not  room  in  the  apartment  for  her,  Miss  Selby, 
across  the  hall,  offered  her  spare  room  for  the 
time  being,  and  so  Miss  Joyce  became  one  of 
them,  going  on  with  her  own  studies  and  assist- 
ing the  others  in  theirs. 

"  It  is  the  greatest  help  in  the  world  to  me," 
she  confided  to  the  always  sympathetic  Miss 
Helen,  "  for  I  have  to  pinch  and  screw  to  make 
both  ends  meet.  Madame  Lemercier  let  me 
have  my  little  room  with  her  in  consideration  of 


NAN  VOLUNTEERED  TO  Go  FOR  SUPPLIES. 


Housekeeping  53 

my  helping"  her  with  beginners,  and  with  the 
prospect  of  being  deprived  of  that  source  of 
supply,  I  was  feeling  rather  blue,  and  pictured 
myself  subsisting  upon  crusts  in  a  garret.  You 
dear  people  are  so  intuitive  and  have  come  to 
my  rescue  in  such  a  sweet  way,  as  if  the  favor 
were  all  on  your  side." 

The  femme  de  menage  failed  to  appear  at  the 
appointed  hour,  not  quite  understanding  when 
she  was  expected,  and  Nan,  who  delighted  in 
rising  to  occasions,  volunteered  to  go  forth  for 
supplies.  "  There  is  a  fascinating  market  not 
far  off,"  she  said.  "  We  passed  it  the  other 
day  when  we  were  coming  here.  And  as  for 
cremeres  and  bonldngeries,  and  all  those,  there 
is  no  end  to  them.  I'll  interview  Miss  Selby 
and  get  her  to  tell  me  the  best  places  to  order 
regularly.  Who'll  go  to  market  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  will,  I  will,"  came  the  chorus. 

"  Jack  spoke  first,"  said  Nan,  "  so  come  on, 
sinner.  Don't  tell  me  what  to  get,  mother.  If 
I  forget  anything  I'll  go  again,  or  the  maid  can 
when  she  comes.  I  am  just  longing  for  some 
of  the  things  we  can't  get  at  a  pension  table.  I 
am  going  to  carry  a  net,  just  as  the  working 
people  do.  I  don't  care  a  snap  who  sees ;  it  is 
only  for  once,  anyhow.  There  is  a  nice  smiling 
concierge  lady  down-stairs,  very  different  from 
that  vinegar  jug  at  Madame  Lemercier's.  You 


54  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

might  give  a  list  of  groceries,  mother.  I  am 
not  so  well  up  on  those,  and  I  can  order  them 
from  Potin's." 

She  and  Jack  started  out  gleefully,  returning 
with  their  supplies  after  some  time.  Then  the 
three  older  girls  set  to  work  to  cook  the  second 
breakfast  on  the  gas-range.  The  kitchen  was  a 
tiny  one  and  the  three  quite  filled  it,  but  they 
managed  very  well  and  their  efforts  were  re- 
ceived with  great  applause. 

"  Of  all  things,"  cried  Mrs.  Corner  ;  "  fried 
eggplant ;  my  favorite  dish." 

"  And  sliced  tomatoes  with  mayonnaise,"  said 
Miss  Helen.  "  How  delicious." 

"  Strawberries  and  cream  !  Strawberries  and 
cream  ! "  sang  out  Jean  delightedly. 

"  And  actually  liver  and  bacon,  a  real  home 
dish,"  said  Miss  Joyce.  "  Nan,  you  are  a  jewel." 

"  It's  the  best  little  market,"  said  Nan.  "  There 
is  everything  under  the  shining  sun  to  be  found 
there.  I  never  saw  so  many  kinds  of  fruits  and 
vegetables,  and  they  are  really  very  cheap. 
Some  of  the  things,  the  eggplants,  for  instance, 
look  different  from  ours;  they  are  a  different 
shape  and  much  smaller,  but  I  saw  most  of  the 
vegetables  we  are  used  to  having  at  home,  ex- 
cept green  corn  and  sweet  potatoes.  As  for  the 
fruits,  there  are  not  only  the  home  varieties  but 
others,  such  as  figs  and  some  other  queer  things 


Housekeeping  $$ 

I  don't  know  the  name  of.  I  bought  the  most 
delicious  sort  of  canteloupe  for  to-morrow's 
breakfast,  but  it  was  more  expensive  than  those 
we  have  at  home." 

"  I  almost  wish  we  were  to  have  no  maid," 
said  Mrs.  Corner. 

Nan  laughed.  "  If  you  could  see  the  array 
of  pots  and  pans  there  are  to  wash  you  wouldn't 
wish.  I  hope  Marie  or  Hortense  or  whatever 
her  name  may  be,  will  soon  appear,  for  I  am 
tired."  She  fanned  her  hot  face  with  a  newspa- 
per. 

"  You  poor  child ;  you  have  worked  too  hard," 
said  her  mother  sympathetically.  "  We  will 
have  the  concierge  lady,  as  you  call  her,  come 
in  and  do  the  dishes.  That  is  one  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  being  here;  there  is  never  any 
trouble  in  getting  a  person  in  to  do  whatever 
you  may  wish  to  have  done.  This  is  delicious 
bread,  Nan,  better  than  we  had  at  Passy." 

"  Miss  Selby  told  me  where  to  get  it.  They 
call  these  lovely  yard  long  two-inch-diametered 
sticks,  baguettes.  Aren't  they  nice  and  crusty  ?  " 

Mrs.  Corner  ate  her  meal  with  more  relish 
than  she  had  shown  for  some  time  and  Nan  was 
satisfied  that  the  move  was  a  good  one. 

The  maid  did  not  appear  till  the  next  morn- 
ing, so  the  whole  party  dined  at  a  queer  little 
restaurant  near  by,  staying  to  listen  to  the  mu- 


c6  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

sic  and  to  watch  the  people  come  and  go.  Nan 
prepared  the  morning  coffee  which  was  pro- 
nounced the  best  since  the  home  days,  and  as 
the  baker  had  not  failed  to  leave  an  adequate 
number  of  baguettes,  and  the  milk  and  cream 
were  promptly  served,  there  was  no  need  to  go 
forth  for  the  early  meal. 

Jack  sighed  over  leaving  her  friend,  the  cocker, 
and  the  two  little  playmates,  Clemence  and  Paul- 
ine, but  she  soon  became  interested  in  a  beau- 
tiful cat,  called  Mousse,  which  lived  in  the  drug 
store  below,  and  who  played  a  number  of  clever 
tricks,  these  being  displayed  by  his  master  with 
great  pride.  Jack  discovered,  too,  that  the 
concierge  had  a  parrot,  so  the  child  found  her 
entertainment  here  as  easily  as  she  had  done 
elsewhere.  Jean  was  satisfied  with  dolls  and 
books  in  any  place,  and  moreover,  being  very 
fond  of  good  things,  thought  the  change  from 
Madame  Lemercier's  rather  frugal  table  one  to 
be  approved.  Mary  Lee  and  Jo  found  plenty 
to  do  in  watching  the  life  which  went  on  in  the 
streets,  while  Nan  liked  to  go  further  afield  to 
the  market  which  she  declared  was  as  amusing 
as  a  farce.  "  I  wish  you  could  see  the  barter- 
ing for  a  piece  of  meat,"  she  told  the  family. 
"  There  is  one  butcher  I  could  watch  all  day. 
I  never  saw  such  expressive  contortions,  such 
gesturings,  such  rollings  of  eyes  and  puffings 


Housekeeping  57 

out  of  cheeks,  and  then  to  see  a  scrap  of  a 
Frenchwoman  wriggle  her  fingers  contemptu- 
ously under  his  very  nose,  while  he  looks  fierce 
enough  to  bite  them  off,  is  as  funny  a  perform- 
ance as  I  ever  beheld.  Then  after  they  have 
squabbled,  and  shrieked  and  abused  each  other 
long  enough  they  end  up  with  such  smiles  and 
polite  airs  as  you  never  saw.  You  should  hear 
Hortense  answer  the  market  people.  She  al- 
ways has  just  the  smartest  and  sauciest  things 
to  say,  and  how  they  do  enjoy  that  sort  of 
thing.  Besides  the  market  itself  is  really  a 
sight  to  see.  Even  a  stall  with  nothing  but 
artichokes  on  it  will  be  made  attractive  by  a 
fringe  of  ferns,  and  as  to  the  hand-carts  piled 
with  flowers,  they  ought  to  be  a  joy  to  any 
artist.  I  counted  twenty  different  varieties  of 
vegetables  to-day,  and  as  many  kinds  of  fruit. 
We  can  scarcely  do  better  than  that  in  America 
at  the  same  time  of  year.  Oh,  no,  I  wouldn't 
miss  going  to  market  for  anything.  I  feel  so 
important  with  Hortense  walking  respectfully 
behind  me,  ready  with  advice  and  polite  atten- 
tions." 

Tall,  slight,  dark-haired  Nan  was  nearly  six- 
teen. "My  girl  is  growing  up,"  sighed  her 
mother,  "  She  has  the  nest-building  instinct, 
Helen.  We  shall  not  have  her  as  a  little  girl 
much  longer," 


58  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  She  has  still  some  years  left,"  returned  Miss 
Helen.  "  She  has  many  childish  ways  at  times, 
in  spite  of  her  being  the  eldest,  and  of  having 
had  more  responsibility  than  the  others.  When 
she  enters  college  it  will  be  time  enough  to 
think  that  womanhood  is  not  far  off." 

Nan,  Mary  Lee  and  Jo  had  just  set  to  work 
at  their  French  history.  Nan  was  discoursing 
fluently,  flourishing  her  book  as  she  talked. 
"  And  here  in  these  very  streets  it  went  on," 
she  said.  "  Can  you  realize,  girls  ?  Fancy  the 
Louvre  seeing  so  many  wonderful  historical 
events.  It  was  from  there  that  the  order  went 
forth  for  the  massacre  of  the  Huguenots  on  that 
dreadful  night  of  St.  Bartholomew,  and " 

"  I  don't  want  to  fancy,"  Jo  interrupted.  "  It 
is  bad  enough  if  you  don't  try  to.  It's  too 
grewsome,  Nan,  to  talk  about." 

"  But  it  impresses  it  on  one  so  vividly  to  talk 
about  it,  and  we  shall  remember  it  so  much  bet- 
ter; besides  I  like  to  imagine." 

"  I  don't  see  the  good  of  it  when  it  is  all  over 
and  gone,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  There  is  no  use 
shedding  tears  over  people  who  have  been  dead 
and  in  their  graves  a  hundred  years.  That  is 
just  like  you,  Nan,  to  get  all  worked  up  over 
things  that  are  past  and  forgotten." 

"  They  never  will  be  forgotten,"  maintained 
Nan,  "  unless  you  forget  them,  which  you  are 


Housekeeping  59 

very  liable  to  do,  if  you  take  no  more  interest. 
Well,  then,  if  you  must  be  slicked  up  and 
smoothed  down  by  something  sweet  and  agree- 
able, pick  it  out  for  yourself ;  I  am  going  to 
study  to  learn  and  not  because  I  want  to  feel 
comfortable." 

"  There's  the  facteur"  interrupted  Jo.  "  Let's 
see  who  has  letters."  She  rushed  to  the  door 
to  be  the  first  to  receive  the  postman's  sheaf  of 
mail.  "  One  for  you,  Nan,"  she  sang  out ;  "  an- 
other for  Mrs.  Corner ;  one  for  me, — that's  good, 
— and  actually  one  for  Jack.  Two  for  you,  Nan, 
for  here's  another." 

Nan  had  already  torn  open  the  envelope  of 
her  first  letter  and  was  eagerly  scanning  the 
contents.  "Just  wait  a  minute,"  she  said. 
"  This  is  exciting.  Please  put  the  other  letter 
somewhere,  Jo,  till  I  get  through  with  this. 
Oh,  I  do  wonder " 

"  What  is  it,  Nan  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee,  seeing 
Nan's  excitement. 

"  Wait  one  minute.     It's " 

"You're  so  exasperating,"  said  Mary  Lee. 
"  You  just  jerk  out  a  word  and  then  stop  with- 
out giving  a  body  an  inkling  of  what  you 
mean." 

"  I'll  tell  you  in  one  minute.  I  must  finish 
reading." 

Seeing  there  was  no  getting  at  facts  till  Nan 


60  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

had  come  to  the  end  of  her  letter,  Mary  Lee 
gave  up  in  despair  and  went  off  to  deliver  the 
other  mail.  But  before  she  returned  Nan  had 
rushed  wildly  to  her  mother,  and  Mary  Lee 
found  the  two  in  lively  conversation.  "  Oh, 
but  can't  we?"  she  heard  as  she  opened  the 
door  of  her  mother's  room. 

"  Can't  we  ?     What  we  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  You  and  I,  anyhow,"  returned  Nan.  "  It 
is  a  letter  from  Mr.  St.  Nick.  He  and  Miss 
Dolores  are  at  San  Sebastian.  Tell  her,  mother. 
Oh,  do  say  we  can  go." 

"  There,  Nan,  dear,  don't  be  so  impatient," 
returned  Mrs.  Corner.  "Just  wait  till  we  can 
talk  it  over.  It  cannot  be  decided  all  in  one 
minute,  besides,  I  have  not  had  time  to  read  my 
own  letter  yet.  I  see  it  is  from  Mr.  Pinckney, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  it  is  upon  the  same 
subject." 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  what  it  is  all 
about,"  said  Mary  Lee  despairingly. 

Nan  thrust  her  letter  into  her  sister's  hand. 
"  There,"  she  said,  "  read  it  for  yourself." 

This  Mary  Lee  proceeded  to  do  while  Nan 
hovered  near,  trying  to  gather  from  her 
mother's  expression  what  she  thought  of  the 
proposition  which  Mr.  Pinckney  had  made. 

"  It  is  out  of  the  question  for  us  all  to  go," 
said  Mrs.  Corner  as  she  laid  down  her  letter. 


Housekeeping  61 

"We  have  taken  this  apartment  and  have  made 
all  our  arrangements,  and  to  allow  even  you 
and  Mary  Lee  to  take  that  long  journey  alone 
is  something  I  could  not  think  of." 

"  Oh,  mother !  "  Nan's  voice  expressed  bitter 
disappointment. 

"  If  there  is  any  one  country  above  another 
that  I  do  want  to  see,  it  is  Spain,"  said  Mary 
Lee  sighing  as  she  handed  back  the  letter  she 
had  been  reading. 

"  I  am  sorry,  but  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be 
managed,"  returned  Mrs.  Corner.  "  However,  I 
will  talk  to  your  Aunt  Helen  about  it  and " 

"If there  can  be  a  way  managed  you'll  let  us 
go,  won't  you  ?  "  Nan  put  in  impatiently.  "  If 
we  should  happen  to  find  any  one  going  that  way 
who  would  chaperon  us  it  would  be  all  right, 
wouldn't  it  ?  Mr.  St.  Nick  said  he  would  meet 
us  anywhere  the  other  side  of  Bordeaux.  He 
suggested  Biarritz  and  there  must  be  thousands 
of  people  going  there." 

"  There  may  be  thousands,  and  doubtless  are, 
but  if  we  don't  know  any  one  of  them  it  would 
not  do  any  good." 

"  We  surely  must  know  one,"  replied  Nan 
still  hopeful. 

"  Let's  go  and  watch  for  Aunt  Helen,"  said 
Mary  Lee,  as  eager  as  Nan  for  once.  She 
adored  Miss  Dolores  and  had  looked  forward  to 


62  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

meeting  her  with  her  grandfather,  so  now  to 
have  the  opportunity  thrown  at  them,  as  Nan 
said,  and  not  to  be  able  to  take  advantage  of 
it  seemed  a  cruel  thing.  They  went  back  to  the 
living-room  to  pour  out  their  enthusiasm  to  Jo, 
who  looked  a  little  wistful  though  she  was 
greatly  interested. 

"  I  should  miss  you  awfully,"  she  said, 
"  though  Miss  Barnes  and  the  other  girls  will 
be  coming  along  soon,  and  I  should  have  to  go 
anyhow,  I  suppose." 

"  It  won't  be  so  very  long  even  if  we  do  go," 
Nan  assured  her  ;  "  not  more  than  a  month." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  keep  busy  improving  each  shin- 
ing hour,"  said  Jo  cheerfully,  "  and  it  will  be  so 
good  to  have  you  back  again." 

"  That's  one  way  of  looking  at  it,"  laughed 
Nan.  "  Oh,  I  do  hope  we  can  go." 

"  Go  where  ?  "  asked  Jack  who  had  just  come 
in. 

"  To  Spain,"  Nan  told  her.  "  Mr.  St.  Nick  has 
written  to  say  that  he  will  not  take  no  for  an 
answer.  He  wanted  the  whole  Corner  family  to 
come,  but  mother  says  it  is  out  of  the  question, 
so  it  has  dwindled  down  to  Mary  Lee  and  I,  if 
any  one  goes  at  all.  Who's  your  letter  from  ?  " 

"  Carter." 

"  Carter  ?  Well,  he  is  nice  not  to  forget  us. 
What  does  he  say  ?  " 


Housekeeping  63 

"  Read  it."  Jack  handed  over  her  letter 
which  Nan  must  have  found  not  only  interest- 
ing but  amusing,  as  she  laughed  many  times  be- 
fore she  had  finished  reading.  "  Cart  is  a  nice 
boy,"  she  said  as  she  folded  up  the  sheet.  "  I 
shall  be  glad  to  see  him  again." 

"  It  will  be  many  a  long  day  before  you  do," 
remarked  Mary  Lee. 

"  Not  so  long  as  you  think,  maybe,"  returned 
Nan.  "  He  may  come  abroad  in  the  spring,  and 
says  perhaps  we  can  meet  in  Italy  if  we  are 
there  then." 

"  We're  pretty  sure  to  be,  for  we  shall  not 
leave  Munich  before  March,  Aunt  Helen  says." 

"  There's  Aunt  Helen  now,"  exclaimed  Jack 
who  was  watching  from  the  window.  And  the 
appearance  of  Miss  Corner  put  an  end  to  all 
thoughts  of  Carter  Barnwell  for  the  time  being. 

Nan  projected  herself  so  suddenly  upon  the 
little  figure  that  it  staggered  under  the  on- 
slaught. "  Oh,  Aunt  Helen,"  '  she  cried, 
"blessed  and  always  helpful  godmother,  the 
fairest  of  fairy  godmothers,  we  do  so  want  to  go 
to  Spain  and  you  must  use  your  fairy  wand  to 
create  a  chaperon  for  us.  Make  her  out  of  any- 
thing, old  rags,  toads,  anything,  anything,  so  we 
get  her.  Please  do." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  you  catapult. 
You  have  nearly  knocked  the  breath  out  of 


64  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

me,  you  great  big  Newfoundland  dog  trying  to 
be  a  terrier  pup.  You  forget  I  am  not  your 
superior  in  size  if  Lam  in  years.  Let  me  get  off 
my  hat  and  give  me  breathing  space,  then  tell 
me  what  the  excitement  is." 

Nan  released  her  aunt  and  allowed  her  to 
collect  her  senses  before  she  told  her  tale  which 
was  listened  to  attentively.  "I'd  love  to  have 
you  go,"  said  Miss  Helen. 

"  Of  course  you  would.  You  are  always  that 
sort  of  dear  thing." 

"  But  just  at  present  I  don't  see  how  it  is 
to  be  managed.  However,  I  will  put  on  my 
thinking-cap  and  perhaps  the  next  twenty-four 
hours  will  bring  me  an  idea." 

"  When  Aunt  Helen  puts  on  her  thinking-cap 
a  thing  is  as  good  as  done,"  declared  Nan  to 
Mary  Lee,  and  both  felt  quite  sure  that  the 
journey  to  Spain  would  be  undertaken. 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  SPAIN 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  GLIMPSE  OF  SPAIN 

SURE  enough  the  faith  Nan  had  in  her  aunt 
was  not  without  foundation,  for  that  very  even- 
ing Miss  Helen  learned  from  her  friend,  Miss 
Selby,  that  the  next  week  an  acquaintance  was 
going  as  far  as  Poitiers,  and  that  there  would 
probably  be  no  difficulty  in  arranging  to  have 
her  act  as  chaperon  to  Nan  and  Mary  Lee  as 
far  as  that  city. 

"  And  really,"  Miss  Selby  assured  Miss 
Corner,  "it  will  be  perfectly  safe  to  allow  them 
to  go  on  alone  as  far  as  Biarritz,  for  it  is  not  a 
long  journey,  and  their  friend  will  meet  them. 
They  can  both  speak  French  fluently  enough 
to  get  along  perfectly,  and  I  have  several  safe 
addresses  which  I  can  give  them  in  case  their 
train  should  be  delayed,  or  in  case  their  friend 
fails  to  arrive  on  time.  I  have  an  acquaintance 
at  Bordeaux  and  another  at  Biarritz,  so  in  case 
of  delay  all  they  will  have  to  do  will  be  to  take 
a  cab  to  either  address.  I  will  give  them  notes 
of  introduction  so  they  will  have  no  trouble 
whatever." 

Miss  Helen  was  enough  of  a  traveler  herself 
to  feel  that  this  would  be  sufficient  precaution, 


68  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

but  Mrs.  Corner  demurred,  and  at  first  could 
not  be  persuaded  to  give  her  consent  to  the 
girls  traveling  any  of  the  distance  alone,  but  at 
last  she  yielded  and  wrote  to  Mr.  Pinckney  that 
he  might  expect  her  two  elder  daughters  to 
arrive  at  Biarritz  on  a  certain  day,  and  the  two 
set  off  in  high  spirits. 

"  It's  such  fun  to  go  bobbing  along  the  streets 
of  Paris  in  a  cab,"  said  Nan,  "to  take  your 
luggage  along  with  you  and  not  to  have  to 
bother  about  street-cars  or  anything.  I  wish  we 
had  such  nice  cheap  cab  service  at  home,  don't 
you,  Aunt  Helen?" 

"  That  is  one  of  the  advantages  upon  which 
I  am  afraid  I  do  set  a  higher  value  than  my 
friends  at  home  would  have  me.  There  are 
several  things  on  this  side  the  water  which  I 
claim  are  advances  upon  our  system  at  home, 
and  because  I  say  so  my  friends  often  think  I 
am  unpatriotic.  But  never  mind.  There  is 
the  Gare  d'  Orsay  where  we  are  to  find  Miss 
Cameron.  Look  out  for  your  pocketbook, 
Nan,  and  be  sure  not  to  lose  your  ticket." 

Miss  Cameron  was  found  promptly  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  girls  were  established  in  their 
train.  They  were  glad  to  be  able  to  whisper 
together  for  Miss  Cameron  had  a  friend  who 
was  going  as  far  as  Orleans,  and  who  shared 
the  compartment  with  them,  therefore,  Mary  Lee 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  69 

and  Nan  were  not  called  upon  to  take  part  in 
the  conversation. 

It  was  still  light  when  they  reached  the  pretty 
town  of  Poitiers  which,  set  upon  a  hill,  looked 
picturesque  and  interesting  as  the  travelers  left 
the  train  and  were  borne  up  a  steep  incline  to 
their  hotel. 

"  It  is  a  perfectly  dear  place,"  decided  Nan 
enthusiastically.  "  We  must  get  some  post- 
cards, Mary  Lee,  and  send  them  off  to  mother 
and  the  rest  of  the  family." 

"  We  mustn't  forget  poor  old  Jo,"  said  Mary 
Lee.  "  I  know  she  is  missing  us  this  blessed 
minute." 

"  Who  is  Jo  ?"  asked  Miss  Cameron. 

"  One  of  our  school  friends  who  came  over 
with  us.  She  won  the  prize  of  a  trip  to  Europe 
and  has  been  with  us  right  along."  Nan  gave 
the  information.  "Tell  us  something  about 
Poitiers,  Miss  Cameron." 

There  was  nothing  Miss  Cameron  would  like 
better  to  do.  She  was  a  teacher  who  was 
spending  her  vacation  abroad  and  was  enjoy- 
ing it  hugely.  She  was  neither  young  nor 
beautiful,  but  had  a  way  with  her,  Nan  con- 
fided to  Mary  Lee,  and  both  girls  liked  her.  "  I 
should  like  to  go  to  her  school,"  Nan  said  to 
her  sister. 

"  So  should  I,"  Mary  Lee  whispered  in  re* 


jo  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

turn.  So  they  asked  many  things  about  the 
school  which  was  in  Washington,  and  by  the 
time  they  had  learned  all  they  wanted  to  know, 
the  top  of  the  hill  was  reached  and  they  turned 
into  a  winding  street  which  led  to  the  quiet 
hotel  where  they  were  to  stay  over  night. 

"When  we  have  had  dinner,"  said  Miss 
Cameron,  "we  can  go  to  the  Pare  de  Blossac 
where  we  shall  see  the  people  and  hear  the 
band.  I'd  like  you  to  see  something  of  the 
town  before  we  leave  to-morrow.  There  are 
two  or  three  nice  old  churches  and  the  little 
baptistry  of  St.  Jean  is  said  to  be  the  oldest 
Christian  edifice  still  existing  in  France." 

"  I  am  sure  I  shall  like  to  see  that,"  declared 
Nan,  who  loved  things  old  and  romantic.  "  I 
like  the  looks  of  this  place,  anyhow,"  she  went 
on.  "  It  is  perched  so  high  and  has  an  interest- 
ing air  as  if  it  had  looked  out  of  its  windows 
and  had  seen  things.  Then  the  people  are  nice, 
wholesome  appearing  men  and  women,  quite 
different  from  those  you  see  in  Paris.  Their 
faces  are  more  earnest  and  good,  somehow." 

Miss  Cameron  looked  pleased.  "  You  are 
quite  a  critical  observer,  Nan,"  she  said.  "I 
quite  agree  with  you,  for  I  haven't  a  doubt  but 
that  your  impressions  are  correct.  But  here  we 
are.  We  will  not  make  toilettes,  but  will  only 
brush  off  the  dust  and  have  our  dinners." 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  71 

The  dining-room  was  airy  and  pleasant,  and 
the  dinner  good ;  after  it  was  over  there  was 
still  daylight  enough  for  them  to  find  the  way 
easily  to  the  Pare  de  Blossac.  They  discovered 
this  to  be  a  pretty,  restful  spot,  as  they  hoped 
it  would  be,  and  the  hour  they  spent  there 
added  to  their  pleasant  impression  of  the  little 
city. 

They  were  up  betimes  the  next  morning  for 
they  wanted  to  make  the  most  of  the  few  hours 
they  should  have.  To  the  consternation  of  all 
three  it  was  ascertained  that  Miss  Cameron,  who 
was  going  in  a  different  direction,  would  be 
obliged  to  take  an  earlier  train  than  the  girls 
would. 

"  I  am  so  sorry,"  she  said.  "  I  was  sure  there 
would  be  a  train  south  before  so  late  in  the  day, 
but  as  my  friends,  who  are  to  meet  me,  will 
have  to  drive  some  distance,  I  don't  see  very 
well  how  I  can  fail  to  keep  my  promise  of  arriv- 
ing on  time." 

"  We  shall  do  very  well,"  Nan  assured  her. 
"  We  will  ask  very  particularly  before  we  get  on 
the  train  if  it  is  the  one  for  Biarritz,  and  there 
will  not  be  a  bit  of  trouble,  I  am  sure.  We  have 
very  little  luggage,  you  know." 

"And  I  am  sure  I  can  see  that  it  gets  on  all 
right,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"I   am   so  sorry,"  repeated  Miss  Cameron 


72  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

looking  quite  worried.  ' '  It  never  seemed  within 
the  bounds  of  possibility  that  there  should  be 
no  train  before  that  hour.  If  my  friends  were 
near  telegraph  offices  and  such  things  I  could 
wire  them,  but  a  French  chateau  near  only  to  a 
small  village  is  too  unget-at-able  for  words." 

The  girls  continued  to  protest  that  they  would 
have  no  difficulty  at  all,  and  finally  Miss  Cam- 
eron yielded  to  their  protests  that  she  must  leave 
them  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  at  last 
waved  them  a  farewell  from  her  car  window. 
"  Be  sure  you  send  me  a  card  that  I  may  know 
you  have  arrived  safely,"  were  her  last  words, 
and  they  promised. 

But  it  must  be  confessed  that  when  they  faced 
each  other,  two  strangers  far  from  home  and 
mother,  they  felt  a  little  sinking  at  heart. 

"  Do  you  think  we  need  sit  here  in  this  sta- 
tion for  a  mortal  hour  and  a  half  ?  "  asked  Mary 
Lee.  "  Couldn't  we  walk  about  a  little  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  Nan  responded  a  little  doubt- 
fully, "  but  we  must  be  sure  to  come  back  in 
time.  We've  seen  the  cathedral  and  the  bap- 
tistry. We  have  seen  the  outside  of  St.  Hilaire-le 
Grand,  and  the  inside  of  St.  Radegunde  and 
Notre-Dame  la-Grande.  We  have  been  to  the 
Pare  de  Blossac  and  up  and  down  a  number  of 
the  streets.  I  wonder  what  else  there  is  to  see 
that  we  could  do  in  a,n  hour." 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  73 

"  It  is  an  awful  walk  up  that  hill  and  it  is 
warm." 

"  I  should  say  it  was  in  a  noonday  sun.  We 
might  go  a  little  way  very  slowly.  I  have  been 
longing  to  go  up  on  that  nice  craggy  place  and 
look  down.  When  we  get  back  we  will  buy 
some  post-cards  and  send  them  off ;  that  will 
pass  away  the  time." 

They  mounted  the  steep  hill  for  a  short  dis- 
tance, stood  for  a  while  looking  up  and  looking 
down,  then  returned  to  the  station  and  started 
toward  the  little  stand  where  they  had  seen 
some  post-cards.  As  Nan  opened  the  small  bag 
she  carried,  she  gave  an  exclamation  of  dismay. 
"  Mary  Lee,"  she  cried,  "  have  you  my  pocket- 
book?" 

"  No,"  was  the  answer. 

"  It's  gone."  Nan  looked  hurriedly  through 
her  larger  bag  which  held  their  toilet  articles, 
Mary  Lee  watching  her  anxiously.  "  It's  gone," 
she  repeated,  "  clean  gone,  and  there  is  no  time 
to  go  back  and  look  for  it." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  have  left  it  at  the 
hotel?"  Mary  Lee  asked.  "We  could  write 
and  get  them  to  send  it  if  it  is  found." 

"  No,  I  am  sure  it  is  not  there.  I  had  it  when 
we  stopped  to  buy  the  chocolate.  I  paid  for 
that,  you  know.  After  we  left  that  shop  I  re- 
member that  the  catch  of  my  little  wrist  bag 


74  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

came  unfastened ;  it  caught  in  something.  I 
shut  it  up  without  looking,  but  the  pocketbook 
must  have  fallen  out  then,  for  it  was  right  on 
top.  Of  course  some  one  picked  it  up  and  there 
is  no  use  hunting  for  it;  we  haven't  time. 
Thank  fortune  1  the  tickets  are  safe,  and  the 
bulletin,  or  whatever  they  call  it,  for  the  bag- 
gage." 

"  Had  you  much  money  in  it  ?  " 

"  About  twenty-five  francs  and  some  loose 
change.  Mother  said  I'd  better  not  carry  more. 
I  have  a  check  which  I  am  to  get  Mr.  Pinckney 
to  have  cashed  for  us,  and  if  we  need  more  it  is 
to  be  sent,  though  mother  thought  the  amount 
of  the  check  would  be  ample.  How  much  have 
you,  Mary  Lee?" 

Mary  Lee  opened  her  purse  and  counted. 
"  About  ten  francs  and  a  few  centimes." 

"  That  ought  to  take  us  through,  if  we  don't 
have  any  delays  or  accidents,"  said  Nan,  though 
she  looked  a  little  worried.  "  Fortunately  we 
have  paid  our  hotel  bill  here,  and  we  have  those 
notes  of  introduction  that  Miss  Selby  gave  us. 
I  have  no  doubt  but  that  at  one  of  those  places 
they  would  cash  our  check  even  if  Mr.  Pinckney 
should  fail  to  meet  us,  so  it  isn't  quite  as  bad  as 
it  might  be."  She  spoke  reassuringly,  though 
she  was  in  some  doubt  about  the  matter.  "  I 
am  glad  we  have  that  chocolate,"  she  went  on. 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  75 

"  We  won't  get  the  post-cards,  for  we  have  al- 
ready sent  one  to  mother  from  the  hotel. 
When  we  get  to  Bordeaux,  instead  of  having  a 
hearty  meal,  we  can  get  some  rolls  or  some- 
thing and  save  the  money  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency." 

Mary  Lee  said  nothing,  though  she  felt  that 
Nan  had  been  careless.  It  was  very  like  her 
not  to  look  in  her  bag  to  see  if  all  were  safe 
after  it  became  unfastened.  She  was  always  so 
absorbed  in  what  was  going  on  around  her,  and 
had  not  the  exact  and  precise  ways  of  her 
younger  sister.  Mary  Lee  would  never  have 
budged  till  she  was  certain  that  every  article  she 
carried  was  in  place.  Nan  was  grateful  for  her 
sister's  silence,  for  Mary  Lee  was  not  given  to 
holding  her  tongue  on  such  occasions. 

"  I  think  that  must  be  our  train,"  remarked 
the  latter.  "  I  am  sure  one  is  coming."  She 
looked  sharply  to  see  that  the  umbrellas  and  bags 
were  not  left,  and  followed  the  trunks  till  she 
saw  them  safely  on  the  train,  then  she  climbed 
into  place  by  Nan's  side,  breathing  a  sigh  of 
relief. 

The  two  girls  were  silent  for  some  time  after 
the  train  began  to  move.  They  felt  rather  de- 
pressed. All  sorts  of  possibilities  loomed  up  be- 
fore them.  Presently  Nan  said,  "  I  wonder  if  we 
have  to  change  cars.  I  saw  that  this  train  was 


76  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

marked  Bordeaux,  but  I  didn't  see  any  Biarritz 
on  it." 

"  We'd  better  ask  at  the  next  stop.  You  do 
it,  Nan ;  you  are  so  much  more  glib  with  your 
French  than  I  am." 

Nan  made  her  inquiry  in  due  course  of  time 
and  found  that  the  change  must  be  made. 
"  But  it  is  in  the  same  station,"  she  told  Mary 
Lee,  "  and  our  baggage  is  booked  through,  so 
there  will  be  no  trouble,  the  guard  says." 

"  I  hope  it  won't  be  dark  when  we  get  to 
Biarritz,"  said  Mary  Lee  after  a  while. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be,  but  I  am  sure  Mr.  St. 
Nick  will  be  on  hand.  You  know  Miss  Cameron 
telegraphed  to  him  as  soon  as  we  knew  what 
train  we  should  take.  I  had  no  idea  that  the 
train  would  take  so  many  hours,  though,  and 
neither  did  she.  However,  he  will  be  there  all 
right." 

But  in  spite  of  her  show  of  confidence,  the 
elder  girl  did  have  her  misgivings,  and  the  two 
were  rather  quiet  as  the  daylight  faded.  They 
ate  their  chocolate  and  rolls  pensively,  feeling 
rather  ashamed  at  having  so  frugal  a  meal  till 
they  saw  two  of  their  fellow  passengers,  well- 
dressed  personages,  cheerfully  supping  upon 
like  fare  which  they,  too,  had  providently  car- 
ried with  them. 

"  I  don't  believe  it  makes  a  bit  of  difference 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  77 

about  doing  such  things  in  France,  at  least," 
Nan  whispered.  "  You  know  the  French  are 
very  frugal,  and  even  well-to-do  people  prac- 
tice economies  we  would  never  think  of." 

It  was  dark  indeed  when  they  left  their  train 
at  Biarritz  and  Mary  Lee  kept  very  close  to  her 
tall  sister  as  they  stood  waiting  on  the  platform. 
"  Suppose  he  isn't  here,"  she  said  tremulously. 

"Then  we  will  take  a  cab  to  that  address  Miss 
Selby  gave  us,"  said  Nan  bravely,  though  feel- 
ing a  sinking  of  heart  as  she  thought  of  doing 
even  that. 

But  at  that  moment  a  portly  form  approached 
and  a  hearty  voice  called  out,  "  There  you  are, 
you  poor  little  chicks.  I  am  glad  to  see  you." 

"  You  aren't  half  as  glad  to  see  us  as  we  are 
to  see  you,"  returned  Mary  Lee  fervently. 

"  Your  train  was  an  hour  late,"  Mr.  Pinckney 
told  them ;  "  but  what  can  you  expect  in  this 
country  ?  "  he  added. 

"  Oh,  they  are  never  late  in  ours,  are  they?" 
laughed  Nan.  "  It  is  good  to  see  you,  Mr.  St. 
Nick.  When  I  beheld  your  dear  big  round  self 
coming  toward  us  I  could  have  shouted  with 
joy,  for  we  were  feeling  a  little  bit  scared." 

"  Tut,  tut,  how  was  that  ?  You  don't  mean 
to  say  you  came  from  Paris  alone?" 

"  Oh,  no,  mother  would  never  have  allowed 
that,  and  she  would  never  have  allowed  us  to 


78  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

venture  anyhow,  if  she  had  known  how  things 
really  did  turn  out."  She  gave  him  an  ac- 
count of  their  journey  ending  with  the  tale  of 
her  lost  pocketbook.  "  And  so,  you  see,"  she 
said,  "  we  were  a  little  bit  afraid  we  might  not 
have  enough  to  get  through  on,  and  we  hated 
to  go  to  a  strange  pension  and  not  have  enough 
money  to  pay  our  way." 

"Too  bad,  too  bad,"  said  Mr.  Pinckney. 
"  I  ought  to  have  come  all  the  way  to  get  you." 

"  But  that  wasn't  necessary,"  Nan  told  him, 
"  and  it  is  all  over  now.  It  was  only  a  scare  and 
not  a  real  danger,  you  see,  for  we  had  a  most 
quiet  and  uneventful  journey  from  Poitiers.  An 
infant  in  arms  could  have  taken  it  with  perfect 
propriety." 

"  Especially  if  it  had  been  in  arms,"  put  in 
Mary  Lee. 

"That  sounds  just  like  Miss  Propriety,  Prunes 
and  Prisms,"  said  Mr.  Pinckney.  "  Well,  my 
dears,  your  rooms  are  all  ready,  and  you  have 
nothing  more  to  bother  about  from  this  time  on." 

"And  is  Miss  Dolores  with  you?"  asked 
Mary  Lee. 

"  Left  her  at  San  Sebastian.  It  is  nothing  of 
a  run  there,  you  know.  You  will  see  her  to- 
morrow." 

After  this  there  was  no  more  trouble,  and  the 
girls  gave  themselves  up  to  listening  to  the 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  79 

plans  made  for  their  pleasure.  They  were  too 
tired  to  lie  awake  long,  but  they  awoke  in  the 
morning  full  of  enthusiasm,  ready  to  enjoy  the 
dainty  breakfast  prepared  for  them  and  served 
in  loveliest  of  gardens.  Mr.  Pinckney  would 
not  hurry  them  away  before  they  had  seen  the 
beautiful  coast  of  the  famous  watering-place, 
and  insisted  upon  their  having  a  little  drive 
around  before  their  train  should  leave. 

"  And  this  is  where  the  young  King  of  Spain 
used  to  come  to  see  the  queen  when  she  was 
Princess  Ena,"  Nan  told  Mary  Lee. 

"  I  wish  they  were  here  now,"  returned  Mary 
Lee. 

"  You  may  have  a  chance  to  see  them  before 
you  leave  Spain,"  Mr.  Pinckney  told  her,  "  for 
they  travel  about  a  good  deal." 

"  Before  we  leave  Spain  !  Doesn't  that  sound 
fascinating  ?  "  cried  Mary  Lee. 

"  What !  You  think  it  will  be  fascinating  to 
leave  us  ?  "  said  Mr.  Pinckney  in  pretended  sur- 
prise. 

"  Oh,  dear,  it  did  sound  so.  No,  indeed.  I 
never  want  to  be  long  away  from  you  and  dear 
Miss  Dolores,  Mr.  St.  Nick,"  Mary  Lee  hastened 
to  say. 

"  That  sounds  more  like  it,"  he  answered. 

"Are  we  going  to  stay  right  in  San  Se- 
bastian?" asked  Nan. 


8o  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  For  only  a  few  days,  then  we  are  going 
further  up  the  coast.  Oh,  you  will  like  it,  you 
two.  It  is  real  typical  Spanish  life  that  you  will 
see  and  such  scenery  1  Well,  of  course,  we  are 
not  backward  in  boasting  of  our  own  scenery, 
but  we  can't  match  these  Spaniards.  They  are 
the  most  frankly  self-appreciative  people  I  ever 
sawo  Talk  about  American  self-esteem,  it  is  no- 
where. You'd  think  there  was  never  a  moun- 
tain, a  river,  a  valley,  a  field,  a  church  or  a 
house,  a  man,  woman,  or  even  a  donkey  that 
quite  came  up  to  those  on  Spanish  soil.  It  is 
amusing,  generally  speaking,  and  I  suppose  it 
is  what  they  mean  by  Spanish  pride,  but  I  get 
a  trifle  tired  sometimes  of  the  everlasting  bom- 
bast, and  have  to  do  a  little  boasting  on  my 
own  account  that  they  may  understand  they 
have  a  few  half-way  decent  things  on  the  other 
side  of  the  water.  I  like  them,  too.  Hospi- 
table, just  like  you  Virginians.  Kind-hearted, 
courteous — again  like  you  people  from  the  Old 
Dominion.  All  Dolores'  kith  and  kin  are  pre- 
pared to  take  you  in  and  give  you  as  good  a 
time  as  can  be  had.  There  is  nothing  they 
won't  do  for  you,  and  do  it  gladly." 

It  was  when  they  had  arrived  at  San  Se- 
bastian that  they  first  realized  that  they  were 
really  in  Spain.  "  See  that  dear  donkey  with 
panniers  at  his  sides,"  said  Mary  Lee. 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  8 1 

"  And  that  queer  ox-cart,"  continued  Nan ; 
"  no,  it  is  cow-carts  they  have  in  Spain.  Don't 
they  look  like  pictures  of  the  old  Roman  carts  ? '" 

"  They  are  practically  the  same,"  Mr.  Pinck- 
ney  told  her.  "  You  will  find  that  Spain  re- 
tains many  ancient  methods  and  customs." 

"  And  there  is  a  woman  wearing  a  mantilla, 
the  first  we  have  seen,"  Nan  went  on.  "  Now, 
I  know  we  are  in  Spain.  What  a  beautiful 
blue,  blue  sea,  and  how  gay  it  looks  on  the  Es- 
planade, do  they  call  it?  Oh,  Mr.  St.  Nick,  it 
is  a  beautiful  place.  I  am  glad  we  are  to  be 
here  for  a  few  days." 

Miss  Dolores  came  running  to  meet  them, 
and  bore  them  away  to  their  room  next  to  hers 
in  the  pleasant  hotel  where  they  were  to  stop. 
And  then  began  the  happiest  of  times,  for  if 
they  were  not  driving  around  the  pretty  town, 
they  were  walking  on  the  Esplanade  watching 
the  crowds  of  people  from  everywhere,  or  they 
sat  on  the  piazza,  and  saw  the  gaily  dressed 
guests  come  and  go.  So  passed  the  rest  of  the 
week,  and  then  they  left  this  favorite  Spanish 
watering-place  to  go  to  a  less  well-known,  but 
no  less  interesting  spot  further  along  the  coast. 

There  was  wonderful  scenery  to  be  seen  from 
the  car  windows  the  entire  way ;  great  moun- 
tains towered  above  them,  picturesque  villages 
lay  in  valleys  below.  Corn-fields  either  side  the 


8l  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

road  reminded  them  of  then-  own  Virginia.  "  It 
does  me  good  to  look  at  them,"  declared  Nan. 
"  I'd  almost  believe  myself  near  my  own  home 
if  I  didn't  see  a  donkey  or  a  cow-cart  every 
little  while." 

"  Do  you  see  that  gray  building  perched 
away  up  there?"  Mr.  Pinckney  directed  her 
attention  to  a  monastery  crowning  a  hill. 
"That  was  built  in  the  tenth  century.  It  is 
nearly  a  thousand  years  old." 

"  Dear,  dear,  how  very  young  I  feel,"  laughed 
Nan. 

"  It  makes  me  feel  very  young  myself,"  de- 
clared Mr.  Pinckney.  "  I  am  a  mere  infant 
compared  to  this  old  civilization." 

"  There's  the  sea,  the  sea  !  and  the  mountains 
go  almost  down  to  meet  it,"  cried  Nan.  "  This 
surely  is  grand  scenery  ;  I  don't  wonder  they 
boast  of  it.  Now,  it  is  like  waltzing  with  Willy; 
we  go  round,  around,  around.  Ah,  we  are  go- 
ing up  again.  There  is  another  tunnel  ahead. 
We  stop  at  Bilbao  to-night,  you  said.  What 
is  it  like?" 

"  A  nice  clean  little  commercial  city.  Noth- 
ing very  remarkable  to  see  there,  but  it  is 
pleasant  and  cheerful  as  well  as  comfortable,  a 
well-ordered  town.  You  will  notice  all  the 
Spanish  features  there  ;  cow-carts  and  donkeys, 
women  carrying  trays  of  fish  or  bread  on  their 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  83 

heads.  Sometimes  there  will  be  a  pair  of 
wooden  shoes  on  top  of  the  fish  and  an  um- 
brella on  top  of  the  shoes.  Everything  is  car- 
ried up  there,  it  seems,  and  they  walk  along  quite 
unconsciously.  Our  rooms  look  out  on  the 
Arenal,  so  you  will  have  a  chance  to  see  the 
street  life  of  the  cities  before  we  go  off  into  the 
provincial  districts." 

They  reached  Bilbao  by  dark,  but  from  their 
windows  they  could  look  down  upon  the 
brightly  lighted  streets,  could  hear  the  band 
play  in  the  little  park  opposite,  and  could 
realize  that  they  were  really  in  the  land  of  Don 
Quixote. 

The  next  afternoon  found  them  arrived  in  a 
pretty  little  village  nestled  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains.  The  great  house  into  which  they 
were  ushered  was  called  the  palacio,  and  was 
centuries  old.  A  high  wall  surrounded  the  gar- 
den where  flowers  blossomed  the  year  round. 
The  bare  floors  were  of  oaken  planks  hewn  by 
hand.  Outside  the  windows  the  balconies  bore 
hanging  vines  or  boxes  of  pinks,  the  Spaniard's 
favorite  flower.  In  the  patio  pigeons  strutted 
about,  the  little  house  dog  rested  in  the  shade 
of  the  orange  trees,  and  a  thrush  sang  sweetly 
from  its  cage  hung  in  the  doorway. 

"  It  is  something  like  California,"  whispered 
Mary  Lee  to  her  sister. 


84  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Of  course,"  returned  Nan.  "California 
was  Spanish  not  so  many  years  ago." 

It  was  but  a  few  minutes  before  a  girl  a  little 
older  than  Nan  came  down  to  meet  them.  "  E 
ahm  glahd  to  zee  you,"  she  said  smiling  and 
putting  out  her  hand. 

Miss  Dolores  laughed.  "  Mercedes  has  been 
practicing  that  sentence  for  days.  It  is  the 
only  English  she  knows.  This  is  my  cousin, 
Mercedes  Cabrales,"  she  went  on,  "  and  these," 
she  spoke  in  Spanish,  "  are  my  friends,  Nan 
and  Mary  Lee  Corner.  You  must  all  call  each 
other  by  your  first  name ;  we  do  so  in  Spain." 

Mercedes  led  the  way  up  the  front  stairs  and 
took  the  girls  into  a  lofty  room,  rather  scantily 
furnished  but  comfortable.  There  she  left  them 
with  a  parting  nod  and  smile. 

Nan  went  to  the  window.  "  I  see  mountains 
everywhere,"  she  said,  "and  the  sea  is  just  over 
that  hill,  Mr.  St.  Nick  says.  That  dismal 
creak  is  not  the  hum  of  a  large  variety  of  mos- 
quito, Mary  Lee,  but  it  is  a  cow-cart.  In 
these  country  places  they  wouldn't  do  away 
with  the  creak  for  anything  because  otherwise 
how  would  they  know  when  to  wait  on  the 
widest  part  of  a  narrow  road  till  the  cart  com- 
ing in  the  opposite  direction  had  passed? 
Isn't  it  all  queer  and  different  from  anywhere 
else  ?  There  are  two  parrots  next  door ;  I  hear 


A  Glimpse  of  Spain  85 

them,  and  that  must  be  a  chapel  where  the 
little  bell  is  hanging  in  the  belfry.  I  love  these 
balconies.  The  big  ones  are  gallerias  and  the 
little  ones  miradores.  There  are  lovely  gardens 
behind  all  those  stone  walls,  and  the  roads  lead 
on  up,  up  the  mountains.  Mr.  St.  Nick  has 
been  telling  me  all  about  it."  And  then  Miss 
Dolores  tapped  at  the  door  and  they  all  went 
down  to  meet  Dona  Teresa  and  her  son  Don 
Antonio. 


IB'  CHAPTER  V 


A  FIESTA 


CHAPTER  V 

A  FIESTA 

ALTHOUGH  Mercedes  could  not  speak  Eng- 
lish she  knew  French  very  well,  and  therefore 
through  this  medium  the  girls  were  able  to  be- 
come well  acquainted.  They  found  this  new 
friend  a  simple-hearted,  gentle  Spanish  girl 
with  an  eager  mind,  and  such  accomplishments 
as  gave  a  denial  to  the  impression  that  Spanish 
girls  must  not  be  expected  to  be  in  the  least 
intellectual.  She  and  her  sister  had  a  French 
governess  for  several  years  and  were  to  have 
an  English  one  the  following  year.  "  So," 
said  Mercedes,  "the  next  time  you  come  I  shall 
speak  to  you  in  English." 

"  It  makes  me  quite  ashamed  of  myself  to 
hear  how  well  she  speaks  French,"  said  Nan, 
"  and  to  know  that  she  expects  to  master  Eng- 
lish and  German,  to  say  nothing  of  Italian.  I 
feel  now  that  I  must  work  harder  than  ever  at 
languages.  What  stupid  things  we  are  com- 
pared to  her.  She  speaks  French  like  a  native, 
is  quite  at  home  with  Italian,  and  has  a  reading 
knowledge  of  German.  When  shall  I  know  so 


90  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

much  as  all  that  ?  Don't  you  like  her,  Mary 
Lee  ?  She  has  such  lovely  dark  eyes  and  such 
pretty  soft  hair,  then  she  is  so  ready  to  do 
things  for  you  and  to  think  of  things  to  please 
you." 

"  I  think  she  is  a  dear,"  agreed  Mary  Lee. 
"  I  am  wild  to  see  her  in  her  aldeana  costume. 
She  is  to  wear  it  to-morrow,  and  she  is  teaching 
me  the  jota.  We  must  both  learn  it,  Nan,  and 
you  must  get  the  music  for  it.  It  would  be  fun 
to  have  costumes  and  do  the  dance  when  we  go 
home." 

"  That  would  be  great,"  declared  Nan.  "  I 
wonder  why  they  call  them  aldeana  costumes  ?" 

"  Oh,  don't  you  know  ?  Aldeana  simply  means 
peasant,  or  as  we  would  say,  country  costumes. 
I  asked  Miss  Dolores.  Mercedes  will  wear  the 
peasant  costume  of  this  part  of  Asturias,  you 
see." 

"I  understand.  There  come  two  of  those 
funny  squeaking  cow-carts.  What  a  noise  they 
make.  I  am  glad  it  is  the  haying  season,  for  I 
think  those  carts  piled  up  with  hay  and  led  by 
a  tall  man  or  a  peasant  woman  carrying  a  long 
pole  across  the  shoulders  are  such  picturesque 
things." 

"  Everything  is  picturesque,"  agreed  Mary 
Lee.  "  I  love  those  dear  little  soft-nosed  burros, 
only  I  wish  the  people  treated  them  better.  I 


A  Fiesta  91 

saw  a  girl  on  one  this  morning.  She  was  mak- 
ing it  go  very  fast,  and  I  wondered  why  it  was 
going  at  such  a  gait  till  I  saw  she  was  sticking 
a  long  pin  into  it  every  few  steps." 

"  They  are  cruel  to  the  donkeys,"  acknowl- 
edged Nan,  "  but  I  think  they  are  very  good  to 
the  other  animals.  The  poor  burros  get  the 
worst  of  it,  and  seem  to  be  creatures  made  only 
for  ridicule  and  abuse.  Oh,  Mary  Lee,  I  do  be- 
lieve that  is  a  band  of  gipsies  coming,  real 
Spanish  gipsies.  Aren't  they  interesting?  I 
suppose  they  are  coming  for  \hefiesta.  Look 
at  those  two  children  with  scarcely  a  rag  on. 
Did  you  ever  see  such  wild-looking,  impish 
little  things  ?  And  the  man  with  the  velveteen 
coat  and  red  sash,  do  see  his  big  sombrero.  I 
hope  we  shall  see  them  again."  She  turned 
from  the  window  to  greet  Mercedes  who  came 
in  to  bid  them  come  down  to  the  patio  to  prac- 
tice the/0te. 

Her  pretty  peasant  dress  was  all  ready  for  the 
morning,  for  it  was  quite  the  thing  for  others 
than  the  mere  peasants  to  adopt  the  local  dress 
on  such  occasions.  She  would  wear  a  short  red 
skirt  with  bands  of  black  velvet  around  it,  and 
smocked  at  the  belt.  Her  brocade  bodice 
trimmed  with  jet  would  partly  cover  her  white 
chemisette.  Around  her  neck  she  would  wear 
a  long  chain  with  a  handsome  old  reliquary  at- 


92  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

tached  to  it.  Very  long  filagree  earrings  would 
be  fastened  upon  her  ears,  and  upon  her  head 
she  would  wear  a  gay  silk  handkerchief  tied  in 
a  peculiar  way.  A  fancy  apron  of  yellow  silk 
completed  the  costume.  Miss  Dolores  had  con- 
sented to  wear  a  mania  de  Manila  or  soft  shawl 
wound  gracefully  around  her,  and  in  her  hair  a 
red  claveL 

"  You,  too,  must  wear  a  clavel"  said  Mercedes, 
"  for  you  are  to  dance  the  jota,  and  if  you  will, 
you  can  also  wear  manias  de  Manila.  You 
shall  have  Antonio  for  a  partner  and  when  not 
him,  I  will  dance  with  you." 

The  little  village  where  the  fas ta  was  to  take 
place  was  but  a  short  distance  away.  The  en- 
tire Cabrales  family,  which  included  Dona 
Teresa,  her  son  Antonio,  Mercedes  and  the  two 
younger  daughters,  Maria  Isabel  and  Consuelo, 
went  with  their  guests,  so  theirs  was  quite  a 
large  party  which  arrived  in  front  of  the  old 
church  in  time  to  hear  the  rocket-bombs,  and  to 
see  the  great  ramas,  or  pyramids  of  bread,  carried 
inside.  Then  all  entered  the  ancient,  low-arched 
edifice,  where  glimmering  candles  at  the  altar 
gave  the  only  light.  Upon  the  bare  floor  were 
many  kneeling  figures  of  women  wearing  black 
mantillas.  The  men  occupied  the  gallery  above 
the  rear  of  the  church,  or  stood  at  the  back  near 
the  door. 


A  Fiesta  93 

"  Isn't  it  solemn  ?  "  whispered  Nan  to  her  sis- 
ter. 

Just  then  with  the  chanting  of  the  priests  was 
mingled  the  song  of  a  canary,  then  another 
chirped  up,  and  a  third  joined  in,  so  that  all 
through  the  service  the  little  songsters  did  their 
part. 

"You  will  see  the  danza  prima  here,"  Miss 
Dolores  had  told  them.  "  It  is  the  most  ancient 
and  primitive  of  the  Spanish  religious  dances. 
It  can  hardly  be  called  a  dance,  in  fact.  And 
the  ramas  ?  They  are  huge  pyramids  on  which 
are  hung  circular  loaves  of  bread,  and  which  are 
adorned  with  flowers  and  branches  of  green ; 
that  is  why  they  are  called  ramas.  They  indi- 
cate the  fruits  of  the  harvest." 

So  when  the  moment  came  for  the  young 
men  of  the  village  to  bear  forth  the  ramas,  the 
girls  watched  eagerly  to  see  the  body  of  maidens, 
in  aldeana  dress,  taking  a  peculiar  step  back- 
ward, always  backward,  and  beating  their  tam- 
bourines and  drums  while  they  sang  a  monoto- 
nous chant.  The  figure  of  the  Virgin,  in  dazzling 
array,  preceded  the  ramas,  and  as  the  proces- 
sion issued  into  the  open  air  again  the  rocket- 
bombs  went  up  again.  Women  carrying  tall 
lighted  candles  brought  up  the  rear  of  the 
procession  which  moved  around  the  church. 
The  ramas  were  set  up  again  outside  while  the 


94  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Virgin  was  carried  back  to  her  shrine  and  then 
the  rea\  fiesta  began. 

"Almost  all  the  fiestas  have  some  special 
feature,  some  religious  dance  to  distinguish 
them  from  one  another,"  Miss  Dolores  told  the 
girls.  "  At  Llanes  they  have  a  very  old  dance 
called  the  dansa  peregrino,  or  dance  of  the 
pilgrims  which  is  supposed  to  date  back,  no 
one  knows  how  many  centuries,  to  the  days  of 
the  pilgrims,  and  the  cockle-shells  and  staves 
are  still  conspicuous  in  the  dress  the  children 
wear  when  they  give  the  dance.  At  Ribada 
sella  they  have  a  procession  of  boats  upon  the 
water,  which  is  quite  pretty." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  that,"  said  Nan. 

"  Perhaps  we  shall  be  able  to.  Now,  we 
will  wander  about  a  while  to  see  the  people 
and  the  booths  before  the  dancing  begins." 

"  Why,  it's  just  like  a  fair,"  remarked  Mary 
Lee.  And  indeed,  to  see  the  stands  where 
cakes,  beer  and  wine  were  offered  for  sale,  to 
see  the  women  squatting  on  the  ground  in 
front  of  baskets  of  nuts  or  fruit,  to  see  the 
merry-go-round  and  the  merry  crowd  made 
one  think  that  it  might  be  anything  but  a  re- 
ligious occasion. 

"  The  dancing  has  begun,"  cried  Mercedes. 
"You  must  come."  She  urged  the  girls  for- 
ward to  where  upon  the  grass  two  lines  had 


A  Fiesta  95 

formed,  the  men  opposite  the  girls.  A  man 
with  a  violin  and  a  woman  with  a  drum  were 
beginning  the  music  of  thejota,  and  presently 
Nan  found  herself  opposite  Don  Antonio  while 
Mary  Lee  had  Mercedes  for  her  vis-a-vis.  Don 
Antonio  was  a  tall,  serious-looking  lad  of  nine- 
teen, but  when  with  arms  aloft,  he  snapped  his 
ringers,  and  took  graceful  steps,  he  seemed 
quite  a  different  person  from  the  grave  young 
man  who  had  ventured  but  a  few  remarks  to 
the  American  girls.  Nan  soon  caught  the 
spirit  of  the  dance,  while  Mary  Lee,  under  the 
teaching  of  Mercedes,  was  presently  snapping 
her  fingers  and  taking  her  steps  with  the  best. 
It  was  energetic  exercise  and  they  were  rather 
tired  when  the  last  notes  of  \hejota  ended. 

"  Now  let  us  go  and  have  some  cider  and 
cakes,"  proposed  Mercedes. 

"  Cider  ?  Do  you  have  cider  here  ?  "  asked 
Nan. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  was  the  reply.  "  In  Asturias  we 
raise  many  apples,  and  cider  is  a  favorite  drink. 
I  see  Antonio  has  supplied  us  with  cakes.  We 
will  go  over  there  under  the  trees  and  have  our 
feast  and  then  we  will  walk  down  by  the  sea." 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  see  so  many  in  peasant 
dress.  Why  don't  the  men  wear  it  ?  "  Mary 
Lee  put  the  question. 

"So  few  young  men  are  here.     Most  of  them 


96  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

have  gone  away  and  will  come  back  Americanos 
when  they  have  made  money." 

"Americanos  ?  " 

"  Yes.  They  go  to  Buenos  Ay  res,  to  Mexico, 
to  Venezuela,  and  when  they  come  back  they 
do  not  wear  any  more  the  aldeana  dress,  and 
they  are  always  called  Americanos." 

"  And  what  are  we  ?  "  Nan  put  the  question, 
a  little  puzzled  to  know  how  she  and  her  sister 
would  be  distinguished.  If  they  were  not 
Americans  what  could  they  be  ? 

"  Oh,  you  are  Inglesas"  Mercedes  told  her. 

"Because  we  speak  English,  I  suppose." 
Nan  was  not  quite  sure  that  she  liked  this 
method  of  classification. 

"Oh,  yes,  that  is  why,  certainly,"  returned 
Mercedes.  "See  there  is  a  man  over  there 
wearing  the  Asturian  cap,  the  old  man  with 
a  long  peaked  cap  which  hangs  down  one 
side." 

"  And  so  you  don't  call  us  Americanos"  Mary 
Lee  returned  to  the  subject,  after  looking  at 
the  man  with  the  peaked  cap. 

Mercedes  smiled  and  shook  her  head. 

"I  always  forget  there  is  any  America  but 
the  United  States,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "but  of 
course  South  Americans  have  just  as  much 
right  to  be  called  so  as  we  have.  Dear  me,  do 
see  that  poor  deformed  creature,  and  there  is 


MARY  LEE  WAS  SNAPPING  HER  FINGERS  AND  TAKING 
HER  STEPS. 


A  Fiesja  97 

another."  She  stood  appalled  and  again  Mer- 
cedes smiled. 

"  They  always  come  to  the  fiestas,  and  they 
are  not  so  deformed  as  they  appear  though 
they  must  be  truly  so,  and  must  show  that  they 
are  else  they  might  be  taken  for  impostors." 
She  stopped  to  give  each  of  the  supplicants  a 
copper  coin.  "  The  big  coppers  are  perronos 
or  the  big  dogs,"  she  explained,  "the  little 
ones,  perrinas,  or  little  dogs,"  and  each  of  the 
Corner  girls  took  a  perrono  from  her  purse  to 
put  into  the  outstretched  hands. 

"  Ah,  there  are  the  Gallegos ;  you  will  like 
them."  And  Mercedes  hurried  them  forward 
to  join  a  crowd  gathered  around  two  women, 
one  with  a  guitar,  the  other  with  a  tambourine. 
They  were  saucy,  mirthful  looking  creatures 
who  turned  knowing  eyes  upon  the  strangers 
and  after  whispering  to  one  or  two  of  the  near- 
est bystanders,  broke  forth  into  a  fresh  song 
which  caused  much  amusement. 

"What  are  they  saying?"  asked  Nan,  as  she 
saw  all  eyes  turned  in  her  direction. 

M  ercedes  lau  ghed.  "They  are  singing  about 
you.  They  say  you  are  like  a  clavel  with  your 
pink  cheeks,  and  that  Mary  Lee  is  a  golden 
bird.  They  say  you  should  be  in  the  queen's 
court  and  that  your  husbands  will  be  sure  to  oc- 
cupy high  places." 


98  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  Nan  looked  this  way  and  that, 
feeling  very  conscious,  to  the  delight  of  the 
audience.  To  be  made  the  subject  of  improvi- 
sation seemed  to  the  girls  a  very  unusual  ex- 
perience, but  presently  they  realized  that  it  was 
a  very  common  thing  here  in  Spain,  that  it  was 
meant  as  a  compliment,  so  when  the  tambourine 
was  passed  around  each  girl  dropped  in  her  of- 
fering and  the  Gallegos  smilingly  started  in  a 
new  direction. 

More  dancing  and  more  feasting.  The  grass 
was  trodden  into  the  dust ;  the  piles  of  cakes 
were  perceptibly  diminished  ;  more  people  were 
arriving.  The  train  brought  numbers  from  the 
nearest  towns  and  villages  ;  carriages  drove  up 
with  occupants  dressed  in  their  best.  There 
were  two  sets  of  couples  for  the  next  jota  in 
which  even  small  children  in  the  aldeana  dress 
joined,  all  being  perfectly  familiar  with  the  step. 

An  Andalusian  with  a  sweet  worn  voice 
trolled  out  his  ballads  in  a  minor  key  at  one  end 
of  the  grounds ;  at  the  other  end  a  blind  violin- 
ist drew  his  bow  raspingly  and  in  cracked  tones 
sang  a  wild  Asturian  melody.  The  lame  beg- 
gars hopped  hither  and  thither,  the  paralyzed 
ones  crawled  nearer,  the  maimed  accosted  each 
newcomer. 

Soon  the  bright  daylight  began  to  fade. 
Long  shadows  crept  across  the  grass,  the  an- 


A  Fiesta  99 

cient  church,  ten  centuries  old,  grew  grayer  in 
the  failing  light.  "  One  more  look  at  the  sea  and 
then  we  go,"  said  Mercedes.  So  they  wandered 
down  to  the  rocky  shore  where  great  crags  rose 
on  every  side.  Beyond  these  sparkled  the 
Cantabrian  sea  which,  softening  the  air,  made  it 
possible  for  chestnuts  and  orange  trees,  palms 
and  apple  trees,  to  live  in  neighborly  fashion. 

"  We  have  flowers  in  our  garden  the  year 
around,"  Mercedes  told  them,  "and  even  when 
there  is  snow  on  the  mountains  it  is  not  so  very 
cold  here." 

"  I  know  it  is  perfectly  beautiful  now,"  re- 
sponded Nan.  "  August  and  no  great  heat,  the 
sea  so  near  and  no  sharp  winds.  It  is  perfect. 
The  kind  of  weather  that  is  just  right,  and  that 
you  don't  have  to  think  about  one  way  or  the 
other." 

"What  wonderful  caves  there  seem  to  be 
about  here,"  said  Mary  Lee  looking  off  toward 
the  rocks. 

"  There  are  a  great  many,  and  the  old  folks 
tell  you  that  they  are  inhabited  by  fairy  folk, 
the  inxanos,  we  call  them,  tiny  little  people  who 
live  underground  and  build  these  rocky  houses 
for  themselves." 

"  Oh,  I'd  love  to  hear  about  them."  The  sub- 
ject appealed  to  Nan's  fancy.  "  Do  people 
really  think  there  are  such  fairies  ?  " 


loo  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Some  of  the  peasants  do,  and  they  have 
great  tales  to  tell.  Then  there  are  the  xanos 
who  are  water  fairies  and  live  in  the  streams  and 
fountains.  You  must  see  the  great  caves  near 
our  village.  I  will  take  you  to  them  to-morrow. 
We  must  go  up  the  mountain,  too,  and  there  is 
a  place  not  so  very  far  away,  from  which  you 
can  see  a  great  distance.  We  shall  drive  home 
to-day  and  you  can  see  the  Peaks  of  Europe, 
our  highest  peaks  anywhere  about." 

The  Corners  never  did  forget  the  drive  home 
over  the  best  of  hard  roads,  above  mountain 
streams  and  green  valleys,  the  great  Peaks  of  Eu- 
rope glistening  far  off,  and  the  nearer  mountains 
bathed  in  sunset  glory.  They  encountered  a 
band  of  gipsies  with  their  donkeys,  traveling 
along  the  white  road  which  wound  around  a 
high  hill,  and  these  seemed  more  than  ever  pic- 
turesque, the  orange  and  red  of  their  costumes 
showing  vividly  against  the  gray  background  of 
rock. 

There  were  more  fiestas  after  this,  but  none 
that  gave  the  girls  greater  enjoyment.  They 
saw  later  the  quaint  little  town  of  Ribadasella 
decked  in  the  Spanish  colors,  and  they  enjoyed 
the  procession  of  blossom-adorned  boats  when 
Santa  Marina  took  place.  They  saw,  too,  the 
feast  of  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Hay  "  when  the  great 
hay  harvest  was  over  and  honor  was  done  to 


A  Fiesta  101 

the  Virgin  of  a  little  chapel  in  the  woods. 
There  was  a  long  day  spent  at  Llanes  which  was 
very  gay  upon  this  feast  of  San  Roque.  It 
ended  with  a  dance  which  kept  up  till  very  late. 
To  this  the  girls  did  not  go,  though,  at  different 
times  during  the  night,  they  heard  revelers  re- 
turning home. 

Mary  Lee  and  Nan  had  picked  up  a  little 
Spanish  when  they  were  in  California,  and  now 
continued  to  add  constantly  to  their  stock  of 
words.  In  consequence  they  were  soon  able  to 
carry  on  conversations,  haltingly,  to  be  sure, 
with  Dona  Teresa  and  Don  Antonio,  and 
managed  to  understand  something  of  what  was 
said  to  them. 

"  I  wish  you  had  been  here  for  our  day  of 
San  Juan,"  Mercedes  said  to  them. 

"  What  did  you  do  then  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"  We  had  a  fiesta  at  the  house  of  our  good 
doctor  whose  name  is  Juan.  As  it  was  his  feast 
day  we  went  very  early  to  hang  garlands  about 
the  gateway  and  the  windows.  We  set  up  a 
tree  in  his  patio,  and  many  persons  from  far  and 
near  brought  presents  to  him.  He  provided 
cakes  and  other  things  for  the  feast  and  we 
danced  till  dark  in  front  of  the  house.  From  all 
the  neighboring  villages  the  young  people  came 
dancing  the  dance  of  San  Juan  all  the  way,  sing- 
ing as  they  came.  It  was  very  pretty." 


1O2  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Oh,  what  awfully  nice  things  you  do  here," 
said  Nan.  "I  think  it  is  lovely  to  celebrate 
days  like  that." 

Mercedes  nodded.  "  Yes,  we  think  it  is. 
We  enjoy  our  fiestas  and  we  have  many  of  them. 
If  you  were  to  be  here  you  would  see.  I  think 
you  should  stay  a  year  that  you  might  under- 
stand what  goes  on  at  every  season.  Could 
you  not  stay  a  year  ?  " 

"  Dear  me !  "  Nan  smiled.  "  What  a  darling 
thing  you  are,  Mercedes.  We'd  love  to  stay 
but  we  must  study.  We  go  to  Germany  in  the 
fall." 

"  Oh,  you  could  study  here  with  the  English 
governess  and  you  could  learn  Spanish.  Would 
it  not  do  as  well  as  German  ?  " 

Nan  gave  her  a  hug.  "  I  should  love  to  do 
it,  but  we  must  do  as  our  mother  says." 

"  Of  course.  I  understand  that,  but  I  should 
like  you  to  stay  and  so  would  mother,  my 
brother  also." 

"It  is  perfectly  lovely  for  you  to  say  so,  but 
I  suppose  we  must  be  thankful  to  have  as  much 
as  a  month  here,  and  as  we  speak  French  all 
the  time  I  am  losing  none  of  my  knowledge  of 
that  language,  while  I  am  also  learning  a  little 
Spanish.  I  hope  some  day  you  will  come  to 
our  country  and  then  you  will  visit  us  in  our 
home." 


A  Fiesta  103 

"  I  should  like  much  to  do  that.  My  cousin 
Dolores  says  I  shall  come  if  my  mother  permits, 
and  my  mother  says  when  I  have  learned  to 
speak  English  it  will  be  time  enough  to  talk  of 
going,  so  I  shall  work  very  hard,  and  when  you 
see  me  in  your  country  I  shall  be  saying  more 
than  '  E  ahm  very  glad  to  zee  you.' "  She 
laughed  merrily. 

"  You  will  come,  of  course  you  will.  I  shall 
speak  often  to  Miss  Dolores  about  it  so  she  will 
remember  to  write  to  your  mother  so  often  that 
she  will  not  forget  about  it." 

"  We  shall  have  to  do  all  we  can  to  have  you 
see  our  Asturias,  as  much  as  is  possible,  while 
you  are  here  for  this  short  month."  And  with 
this  intention  to  be  carried  out  it  was  to  be  ex- 
pected that  the  days  did  not  hang  heavily.  If 
there  was  not  a  fiesta  or  a  feria  there  was  an 
excursion  to  the  seashore,  or  to  some  neighbor- 
ing town  ;  there  was  maybe  a  fishing  party  or  a 
long  drive  to  some  mountain  village,  and  the 
longer  they  stayed  the  more  attached  did  the 
girls  become  to  sweet  Mercedes,  and  the  more 
interesting  did  they  find  the  beautiful  province 
of  Asturias. 


CHAPTER  VI 
SPANISH  HOSPITALITY 


CHAPTER  VI 

SPANISH  HOSPITALITY 

THE  great  caves  which  stood  each  side  the 
little  beach  to  which  the  girls  often  went  were 
remarkable  for  more  than  one  reason.  They 
served  as  bath  houses,  they  were  unique  in  con- 
struction and  they  suggested  tales  of  folk-lore 
in  which  Nan  delighted.  Through  one  of  these 
caverns,  as  through  an  arched  passage,  one 
could  go  to  get  a  better  view  of  the  stretch  of 
sea  beyond,  while  from  the  rocky  hill  above  a 
still  better  view  was  to  be  had.  The  way  to  the 
sea  was  rather  rough,  and  only  the  younger 
ones  of  the  household  cared  to  travel  it  often. 
Mr.  Pinckney  declared  it  was  too  great  an  effort 
for  his  portly  person,  and  Dona  Teresa  said  it 
was  out  of  the  question  for  her  to  attempt  it,  so 
often  but  the  three  girls,  Nan,  Mary  Lee  and 
Mercedes,  would  find  their  way  there.  They 
must  first  pass  through  one  of  the  winding 
streets,  or  roads,  of  the  little  village,  then  over 
a  stony  way  leading  past  the  small  chapel  of 
Nuestra  Sefiora  del  Henar,  in  the  woods,  and  on 
through  shady  paths  till  the  sea  was  at  hand. 

A  daily  dip  in  the  salt  water  was  desirable, 


io8  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

however,  for  Miss  Dolores  who  was  not  very 
strong,  and  therefore  one  morning  the  family 
was  surprised  by  the  arrival  of  a  stout  little  don- 
key and  cart  which  Mr.  Pinckney  explained  he 
had  bought  for  the  use  of  the  family.  So  in  the 
jouncing,  bouncing  cart  thereafter  the  four  went, 
the  little  donkey  not  seeming  to  mind  the  load 
in  the  least.  Often,  nevertheless,  Nan  or  Mary 
Lee  would  insist  upon  getting  out  and  walking 
up-hill  to  spare  Master  Neddy,  as  they  called 
him.  It  goes  without  saying  that  the  lines  of 
this  special  donkey  fell  in  pleasant  places  when 
Mr.  Pinckney  became  his  purchaser. 

In  spite  of  the  donkey,  the  girls  often  pre- 
ferred to  take  long  walks,  sometimes  stopping  at 
the  house  of  a  peasant  to  see  something  quaint 
and  old  of  which  Mercedes  had  told  them. 

"  Would  you  like  to  see  an  old,  a  very  old 
loom,  and  some  one  weaving  linen  ?  "  she  asked 
one  day. 

"  We  should  be  delighted,"  responded  Nan. 

"Then  we  will  go.  It  is  not  far  and  per- 
haps my  cousin  Dolores  would  like  also  to  go. 
The  old  woman  I  know  well,  and  she  will  be 
pleased  to  welcome  us.  The  house,  too,  is  old, 
oh,  so  old,  I  do  not  know  how  many  years, 
hundreds,  I  think,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  like 
to  see  it." 

So  the  four  started  off  up  the  long  white 


Spanish  Hospitality  109 

carretera,  passing  on  the  way  first  a  creaking 
cow-cart  loaded  with  hay,  then  a  viajante  in  his 
wagon  lolling  back  and  singing  a  strange  song 
ending  in  a  weird  note,  next  a  little  shepherdess 
tending  her  two  sheep  which  cropped  the  herb- 
age at  the  side  of  the  road,  then  an  old  woman 
bending  under  a  mass  of  hay  so  great  that  the 
wizened  face  and  bright  eyes  could  scarcely  be 
discerned.  All  these  gave  a  cheerful  "  Adios  " 
or  "  Buenas  tardes  "  as  they  passed. 

As  the  girls  turned  off  the  carretera  and  en- 
tered a  narrow  winding  road,  Mercedes  said, 
"  I  want  you  to  see  the  little  chapel  of  Nuestra 
Sefiora  de  Soledad.  It  is  such  a  quiet  little 
spot  where  it  is.  When  I  am  sad  or  unhappy 
I  go  there,  for  it  seems  as  if  it  were  nearer 
heaven  than  some  other  places." 

She  led  the  way  to  where  the  tiny  chapel 
stood  at  the  meeting  of  two  paths.  Truly  "  Our 
Lady  of  Solitude  "  could  have  no  more  fitting 
title.  The  rustling  of  leaves  on  the  great  trees, 
the  murmur  of  a  little  stream,  the  song  of  a 
bird,  the  occasional  creaking  of  a  distant  cow- 
cart  were  the  only  sounds  heard.  The  girls 
stepped  up  on  the  small  porch,  without  which  is 
never  a  church  or  chapel  in  Spain,  and  looked 
in  through  the  iron  grating  at  the  unpretentious 
little  figure  in  her  shrine,  then  they  sat  down  on 
the  porch  to  rest. 


1 1  o  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  How  still  it  is,"  whispered  Mary  Lee  to  Miss 
Dolores.  "  I  wonder  how  long  the  '  Lady  of 
Solitude  '  has  been  here." 

"  Many,  many  years,  no  doubt.  The  chapel 
is  very  old,  as  you  see.  Many  of  these  small 
churches  and  chapels  were  demolished,  or  at 
least  abused  by  the  French  in  1808,  but  this  one 
has  evidently  escaped.  It  is  charming.  I  think 
I  shall  make  a  sketch  of  it  for  my  cousin  Teresa. 
She  will  like  it,  for  she  has  known  and  loved  it 
always." 

They  left  the  little  chapel  and  mounted 
higher,  then  making  another  turn  they  came 
to  an  old  gray  house  set  in  a  patio.  There  was 
an  entrance  to  the  lower  floor  from  below,  but 
a  long  flight  of  crooked  stone  steps  led  up  out- 
side to  the  upper  floor.  A  great  tree  over- 
shadowed the  house  ;  under  it  some  white  hens 
were  picking  around  industriously.  Above,  in 
the  small  windows,  were  set  boxes  of  pinks  and 
geraniums — no  house  so  poor  but  had  its  clavel. 
Mercedes  mounted  the  crooked  steps,  the  others 
waiting  below  till  an  answer  to  the  knock  should 
come.  "  Manuela  is  in,"  Mercedes  announced. 
"  Will  you  come  up  or  will  you  wait  till  she 
comes  down  to  open  the  lower  door  ?  The  loom 
is  below." 

Miss  Dolores  decided  that  they  would  wait, 
although  Nan  and  Mary  Lee  were  hoping 


Spanish  Hospitality  in 

they  could  see  the  inside  of  the  old  stone 
house. 

"  Perhaps  we  can  go  later,"  whispered  Mary 
Lee  to  her  sister. 

Mercedes  joined  them,  saying,  "  You  will  find 
it  very  dark  and  dingy,  but  clean." 

Here  Manuela  opened  the  door  and  they 
stepped  into  a  room  whose  blackened  rafters 
were  very  near  their  heads.  The  earthen  floor 
was  beaten  down  hard  by  the  tread  of  those 
who  had  gone  in  and  out  for  centuries.  A  tiny 
window  gave  the  only  light,  and  under  this  was 
set  the  great  unwieldy  loom  which  Manuela 
started  going.  The  clumsy  shuttle  clacked 
noisily  as  the  weaving  proceeded.  A  pile  of 
coarse  linen  lay  near  ;  it  was  such  as  the  peas- 
ants had  for  household  use,  and  was  literal 
homespun.  Manuela,  though  quite  overpow- 
ered by  the  sight  of  these  strange  visitors,  was, 
nevertheless,  dignified  and  gracious,  and  at 
Mercedes'  suggestion  offered  to  show  the  rest 
of  the  house. 

Up  through  the  narrowest  of  crooked  stairs 
they  groped  their  way  to  the  kitchen,  a  dark 
little  place,  but  clean  and  orderly.  There  was 
no  stove  in  the  great  fireplace  but  only  a  stone 
platform  which  the  girls  decided  looked  like  an 
ancient  altar,  for  it  was  on  the  top  of  this  the 
fire  was  kindled.  In  this  primitive  way  all  the 


112  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

cooking  was  done,  and  so  it  was  in  most  houses, 
even  in  those  of  the  well-to-do.  A  shining  ar- 
ray of  copper  and  brass  utensils  hung  near  the 
fireplace,  and  some  old  blue  and  white  plates 
stood  a-row  on  a  shelf.  In  the  next  room  there 
was  but  little  furniture  ;  a  bed,  a  settle,  an  old 
chest,  a  small  mirror,  a  picture  of  "Our  Lady 
of  Covadonga,"  a  few  gaudily  colored  prints 
of  various  saints.  Though  the  rooms  seemed 
small  and  dark  they  were  tidy  and  Manuela,  in 
her  black  frock  and  with  black  handkerchief 
tied  over  her  head,  was  not  an  inartistic  figure 
in  the  midst  of  the  setting.  She  offered  them 
flowers,  a  pink  clavel  and  geranium  to  each, 
and  they  took  their  leave.  As  they  passed  out 
of  the  patio  two  women,  bent  under  their  loads 
of  hay,  came  through  the  gateway  to  de- 
posit their  burdens  in  the  loft  back  of  the 
kitchen. 

"  Now,"  said  Mercedes,  "  if  you  can  stand  the 
walk,  I  should  like  to  show  you  my  favorite 
view.  It  is  a  long  climb,  Cousin  Dolores,  but 
Antonio  said  he  would  meet  us  with  the  cart  at 
the  foot  of  the  last  hill  and  he  will  help  you  up 
to  the  top." 

With  this  prospect  Miss  Dolores  decided  to 
undertake  the  walk.  It  was  a  long  one,  but  it 
was  worth  the  effort  to  see  from  the  top  of  the 
high  hill  seven  villages  nestled  at  the  foot  of 


Spanish  Hospitality  113 

the  mountains  on  one  side,  and  a  semicircle  of 
sea  on  the  other. 

"I  never  beheld  anything  more  glorious," 
cried  Nan  enthusiastically.  "We  have,  of 
course,  some  greater  and  more  magnificent 
scenery  on  our  Pacific  coast,  but  this  is 
unique.  To  see  half  the  world  mountains  and 
half  sea  from  the  top  of  a  hill  not  a  mile  from 
home  is  not  vouchsafed  everybody." 

"  I  knew  you  would  like,"  said  Mercedes  well 
pleased.  "  I  think  there  is  no  finer  view  in  all 
Asturias." 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  they  found  Neddy  and 
the  cart,  and  went  home  joyously,  taking  turns 
in  the  cart  to  spare  Neddy. 

It  was  rather  late  when  they  passed  by  the 
plaza  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  and  here  they 
saw  that  something  was  going  on,  for  a  man 
was  setting  up  two  poles,  and  some  parapherna- 
lia near  by  suggested  that  he  had  intentions  in 
other  directions. 

"  A  comedia  /  "  cried  Antonio. 

Nan  looked  at  Mercedes  questioningly. 

"  A  comedia,  a  little  drama  on  the  plaza  to- 
night.    We  must  all  come  to  it,  all  of  us." 
,    "Is  there  a  tent,  or  what ? " 

"It  is  in  the  open  air.  These  are  strolling 
players." 

Nan  marveled,  but  was  very  curious  and 


114  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

eager  to  see  the  performance.  Supper  was 
always  a  late  meal,  sometimes  it  was  not  served 
before  ten  o'clock,  but  there  was  always  a 
merienda,  chocolate,  tea  or  coffee  at  five,  so 
one  did  not  mind.  This  evening  the  meal  was 
hurried  a  little  so  it  was  over  by  nine,  yet  even 
then  the  play  had  not  begun,  though  the  per- 
formers were  drumming  up  custom,  as  the  roll 
of  the  drum  proclaimed  some  time  before  the 
party  reached  the  spot.  This  kept  up  for  an- 
other half  an  hour,  the  crowd  gathering  slowly. 
But  at  last  a  ring  was  formed  around  the  centre 
of  \heplaza,  some  brought  chairs,  others  sat  on 
the  steps  of  surrounding  houses,  some  squatted 
on  the  ground,  some  stood  up.  In  all  the 
windows  and  balconies  overlooking  the  spot, 
spectators  were  gathered. 

The  two  American  girls  were  perhaps  the 
most  eager  ones  in  the  audience,  for  this  was 
a  rare  treat  to  them,  and  they  were  curious 
enough  to  see  the  performance  begin.  It 
seemed  long  delayed,  but  at  last  two  men 
came  out  and  did  some  acrobatic  feats ;  these 
were  followed  by  a  little  play  of  which  Nan  and 
Mary  Lee  understood  very  little.  Then  a  small 
girl  and  a  tiny  boy  walked  a  tight  rope.  Next 
came  a  mock  bull-fight  in  which  the  tiny  boy 
took  the  part  of  a  toreador,  and  ran  so  pre- 
cipitately from  the  pretended  bull  at  each  on- 


Spanish  Hospitality  115 

slaught  that  he  brought  forth  shouts  of  laughter. 
At  last  the  mock  bull  amiably  presented  him- 
self to  be  killed  and  the  victorious  toreador  re- 
tired amid  great  applause. 

"  That  is  the  only  bull-fight  I  want  to  see," 
whispered  Mary  Lee  to  Nan.  "  But  I  am  glad 
to  know  how  they  do  it.  Nobody  was  hurt  and 
the  youngster  was  too  funny  for  words." 

The  next  act  on  the  programme  was  a  pretty 
dance  given  by  the  little  girl,  after  which  came 
a  second  farce  in  which  a  donkey  appeared,  and 
then  the  hat  was  passed  around.  Mr.  Pinckney 
declared  that  a  peseta  apiece  was  none  too  much 
for  such  a  novel  performance,  and  thereupon 
dropped  a  gold  piece  into  the  hat  to  the  sur- 
prise and  joy  of  the  actors. 

"You  have  seen  real  old-time  play-acting," 
he  told  the  Corners.  "  It  is  the  primitive 
method  of  performing  dramas.  So  Shake- 
speare gave  his  plays,  and  so  the  old  Spanish 
dramatists,  Lope  de  Vega  and  Calderon,  saw 
theirs  played." 

"  It  was  great  fun,"  the  girls  declared,  "  and 
we  shall  not  forget  it  in  a  hurry." 

"  What  a  country  of  surprises  it  is,"  said  Nan. 
"  It  isn't  a  bit  like  any  other,  and  I  am  so  glad 
we  could  come." 

The  crowd  had  dispersed,  seeming  actually 
to  melt  away,  so  quickly  the  plaza  was  deserted 


li6  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

by  all  but  two  or  three  persons.  Among  these 
was  the  little  girl  who  had  taken  part  in  the 
show.  It  seemed  to  be  a  family  affair  in  which 
mamma  beat  the  drum,  papa  and  another 
younger  man  took  the  principal  parts,  and  the 
children  fitted  in  wherever  a  place  could  be 
made  for  them. 

Nan  stood  watching  the  child,  who,  with  a 
candle,  was  searching  for  something.  "  What 
have  you  lost  ?  "  asked  Nan  in  her  best  Spanish. 

"  My  slippers,"  said  the  child,  and  Nan  could 
see  that  she  had  been  crying. 

"  She  has  lost  her  slippers,"  said  Nan  to 
Mercedes.  "  Let  us  help  her  look  for  them.  I 
wonder  if  that  is  why  she  has  been  crying." 

Mercedes  put  some  questions.  "  It  is  not 
that,"  she  told  Nan,  "  but  she  had  to  walk  the 
tight  rope,  which  is  really  a  wire,  without  them, 
and  it  cut  her  poor  little  feet  badly." 

"  Dear  me !  "  Nan  was  all  sympathy  and 
rushed  off  to  tell  the  tale  to  Mr.  Pinckney,  who, 
as  usual,  was  moved  to  a  better  condition  by  a 
poultice  of  money.  He  slipped  a  gold  piece 
into  the  child's  hand  and  she  went  off  happily, 
since  she  had  now  more  than  enough  to  make 
good  the  loss  of  the  slippers. 

"  Rather  an  expensive  performance  for  you, 
grandfather,"  said  Miss  Dolores  smiling. 

"  Not  so  very,"  he  replied,  "  when  you  con- 


Spanish  Hospitality  117 

sider  what  we  pay  for  opera  in  New*  York,  and 
this  was  much  more  of  a  novelty." 

"  That  is  just  like  you,  Mr.  St.  Nick,"  said 
Mary  Lee.  "You  play  Santa  Claus  all  the 
year  round." 

The  time  flew  by  till  there  were  but  three 
days  left.  One  of  these  was  given  to  Covadonga 
which  all  were  eager  to  see. 

"  I  love  the  story  of  Pelayo,"  Miss  Dolores 
told  the  girls. 

"Who  was  Pelayo,  anyhow?"  asked  Mary 
Lee. 

"  He  was  the  son  of  Favila,  a  Goth  of  royal 
lineage.  He  commanded  the  body-guard  of 
Witiza,  and  his  enthusiasm  and  influence  roused 
his  compatriots  to  fight.  The  different  tribes  by 
this  time,  the  fair  Goths,  the  Iberians  of  lofty 
stature,  as  well  as  the  descendants  of  the  Ro- 
mans, had  become  Asturians  all  and  made  com- 
mon cause  against  the  Arabs.  In  those  long 
ago  days,  when  the  Moors  were  trying  to  be- 
come victors  all  over  Spain,  the  Asturian  moun- 
tains became  the  refuge  of  the  tribes  who  united 
against  the  Moors.  They  were  headed  by 
Pelayo.  The  Berbers  sent  Al-Kaman  to  van- 
quish these  spirited  and  defiant  people.  Pelayo 
drew  them  into  the  great  gorges  at  Covadonga 
and  there  they  were  slain  by  thousands.  Pelayo 
was  then  made  king  by  his  victorious  people. 


ii8  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

This  was  in  718,  and  so  you  see  Asturias  was 
the  cradle  of  the  Spanish  monarchy.  You  must 
see  the  cave  where  Pelayo  and  his  followers 
took  refuge,  and  if  you  could  stay  till  the  early 
part  of  next  month  you  would  be  here  when  the 
great  pilgrimage  takes  place.  The  figure  of 
our  '  Lady  of  Covadonga  '  is  much  venerated." 

"  I  have  seen  a  number  of  pictures  of  it  in  the 
houses  of  the  people  here,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"  I  should  like  to  read  about  Pelayo,"  said 
Nan.  "  Is  there  anything  special  that  tells  of 
him?" 

"  There  is  a  wild  poem  and  many  legends. 
You  can  see  Pelayo's  tomb  and  that  of  Alfonso  I 
and  his  queen  when  you  go  to  Covadonga. 
There  is  much  romantic  history  of  this  part  of 
Spain." 

"  I  would  love  to  read  it  all,"  Nan  declared, 
"  and  when  I  get  a  chance  I  am  going  to  study 
Spanish  so  as  to  get  hold  of  what  I  should  like 
to  know.  One  hears  much  more  about  Granada 
and  Andalusia,  but  I  am  glad  we  came  here  first." 

The  trip  to  Covadonga  was  the  last  one  under- 
taken, and  then  the  girls  set  out  upon  their  re- 
turn trip  which  Mr.  Pinckney  and  Miss  Dolores 
were  to  take  with  them,  going  on  from  Paris  to 
Switzerland. 

Mercedes  actually  shed  tears  at  the  thought  of 
parting  from  her  new  friends,  and  the  reserved 


Spanish  Hospitality  lig 

Don  Antonio  looked  very  solemn.  He  presented 
each  of  the  girls  with  a  huge  bouquet  of  flowers, 
while  Dona  Teresa  gave  them  a  box  of  chocolate 
and  a  bottle  of  anisado,  the  latter  as  a  remedy 
against  any  ills  which  might  befall  digestion  dur- 
ing the  journey.  The  two  younger  girls,  Maria 
Isabel  and  Consuelo,  gathered  ripe  figs  from  their 
own  tree  to  present  to  the  travelers,  and  would 
have  added  more  flowers  to  those  the  girls  al- 
ready had,  but  were  told  by  Mercedes  that  no 
more  could  be  carried.  Mercedes  bestowed  her 
favorite  antique  reliquary  upon  her  cousin  Do- 
lores, gave  Mary  Lee  a  tiny  silver  cross  with  a 
figure  of  San  Roque  upon  it,  while  Nan  received 
a  tambourine.  Mercedes  would  have  given 
them  her  entire  aldeana  costume  as  well,  if  they 
had  not  protested  that  they  would  not  be  able  to 
pack  so  much  in  their  trunks. 

"  I  have  always  heard,"  said  Nan  to  her  sister, 
"  that  you  have  but  to  admire  anything  in 
Spain,  be  it  great  or  small,  to  have  it  offered  to 
you,  though  one  must  not  accept  it." 

"  I  am  sure  that  Mercedes  was  quite  sincere 
in  wanting  us  to  accept  her  dress,"  returned 
Mary  Lee. 

"  I  am  sure  she  was,  and  I  think  the  people 
usually  are.  I  never  saw  such  generosity  as 
they  all  show,  from  the  peasants  up.  I  am  sure 
I  know  exactly  how  the  dresses  are  made,  and 


12O  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

we  have  the  photographs  of  Mercedes  in  hers 
to  remind  us,  so  I  think  we  shall  have  no  trouble 
if  we  ever  want  to  make  them  for  ourselves." 

"  And  perhaps  Mercedes  will  come  over  to  see 
her  cousin.  We  must  be  sure  to  make  her 
have  a  good  time,  Nan." 

"  Indeed  we  will  do  that.  Isn't  it  nice  to 
have  a  Spanish  girl  friend  ?  Won't  the  girls  at 
home  be  interested  when  we  tell  them  about 
her  ?  " 

"  They  will  think  we  are  great  on  having  un- 
usual friends,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  You  remem- 
ber how  excited  they  were  over  Daniella  at 
school  last  year." 

"  Indeed  I  do.  How  long  ago  that  seems, 
and  how  much  we  have  seen  since  then." 

"  And  how  much  more  we  shall  see  before 
we  get  back." 

"  So  far  I  like  Spain  best,"  decided  Nan. 

"  I,  too,"  returned  Mary  Lee. 

Back  again  they  traveled,  leaving  behind  the 
creaking  cow-carts,  the  panniered  donkeys,  the 
towering  mountains,  the  blue  sea,  and  above 
all  the  warm-hearted  Spanish  family  with  whom 
their  month's  stay  had  been  all  too  short. 

"We  shall  never  forget  you,"  Nan  assured 
Mercedes, "  and  some  day  we  shall  meet  again  ; 
I  am  sure  of  it." 

Mercedes,  with  swimming  eyes,  declared  she 


Spanish  Hospitality  121 

hoped  so,  and  the  whole  family  having  gone  to 
the  train  with  their  guests,  they  waved  farewells 
from  the  platform  of  the  station,  the  last  thing 
they  saw  being  Neddy's  gray  ears  as  Mercedes 
and  Maria  Isabel  drove  him  around  the  corner. 

"  Some  day,"  remarked  Mary  Lee,  as  she 
settled  back  in  her  seat,  "  I  mean  to  come  back 
to  Spain  I  shall  take  that  nice  little  house 
that  Mercedes  told  me  could  be  rented  for  forty 
dollars  a  year,  for  then  I  shall  be  old  enough  to 
keep  house.  I  shall  hire  a  servant  for  two  dol- 
lars a  month  and  I  shall  live  on  figs  and  chest- 
nuts." 

Miss  Dolores  laughed.  "  You  would  cer- 
tainly need  many  doses  of  anisado  if  you  were 
to  do  that,"  she  said. 

"  For  all  there  is  so  much  corn  in  this  part  of 
the  country,"  remarked  Nan,  "we  didn't  see 
any  of  our  old  home  corn  bread." 

"No,  and  you  never  would  see.  The  meal 
used  by  the  peasants  is  poor  stuff  compared  to 
ours,"  Mr.  Pinckney  told  her.  "  They  make 
it  into  a  thick  solid  mass  which  is  as  unappetiz- 
ing as  it  is  unwholesome.  Look  over  there, 
Nan ;  there  is  that  old  monastery  you  are  so 
fond  of,  and  the  church  attached  to  it.  Pretty 
soon  Mary  Lee  will  see  the  town  where  her 
San  Roque  was  honored  m  fiesta" 

"That  was  a  great  fiesta,"  said  Nan  reminis- 


122  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

cently.  "  How  Jack  would  have  enjoyed  those 
funny  fire  balloons  they  sent  up,  the  pigs  and 
such  things,  the  perig-rinos,  too." 

"  And  those  great  giant  figures  dancing  the 
jota  all  the  time  the  procession  was  moving," 
said  Mary  Lee. 

"  There  was  nothing  very  solemn  about  it,  as 
there  was  at  Celorio,"  Nan  went  on.  "  To  be 
sure,  San  Roque  had  a  very  serious  expression, 
but  everything  and  everybody  else  were  as  gay 
as  larks." 

With  such  chat  they  beguiled  their  way  till 
night  brought  them  again  to  Bilbao  and  the 
next  afternoon  saw  them  leaving  San  Sebastian 
and  saying  farewell  to  Spain.  "  Adios,  Espana  !  " 
cried  Nan. 

"  You  may  say  Adios,  if  you  choose,"  said 
Mary  Lee,  "but  I  shall  say  only  Hasta  manana  ; 
for  I  mean  to  come  back." 

Miss  Dolores  smiled  down  at  her,  for  she  well 
knew  that  part  of  this  enthusiasm  for  Spain 
was  due  to  Mary  Lee's  love  for  this  sefiorita  for 
whom  she  had  always  held  a  worshipful  feeling. 

There  was  no  stop  this  time  on  the  French 
side  of  the  line,  for  they  took  the  express  to 
Paris  and  arrived  there  after  a  heavy  rain  when 
the  French  girls  with  their  high  heels  and  fluffy 
skirts  were  daintily  stepping  across  the  puddles, 
and  before  the  hour  when  the  students  of  the 


Spanish  Hospitality  123 

Latin  quarter  were  ready  to  go  forth  to  the 
restaurants  and  cafes  for  the  evening  meal.  A 
quick  drive  from  the  railway  station  and  the 
girls  were  again  under  their  mother's  wing, 
eager  to  tell  of  their  adventures  in  Spain. 


CHAPTER  VII 
ACROSS  THE  CHANNEL 


CHAPTER  VII 

ACROSS   THE  CHANNEL 

"  THERE  doesn't  seem  to  be  anything  to  do 
but  to  bob  about  from  place  to  place,"  said 
Miss  Helen  a  few  days  after  the  girls  had  re- 
turned from  Spain,  "  and  as  long  as  we  are  all 
over  here  together  we  may  as  well  make  the 
most  of  our  opportunities,  for  once  you  girls 
are  in  college  there  is  no  knowing  what  we 
may  have  to  do.  Now,  I  vote  for  England  for 
the  next  move,  and,  Jo  Keyes,  I  appoint  myself 
a  committee  of  one  to  invite  you  to  go  along." 

"Me?"  Jo  jumped  to  her  feet.  Though 
Miss  Barnes  was  now  in  Paris  with  her  party  of 
girls,  Jo  had  not  failed  to  be  on  hand  when  Nan 
and  Mary  Lee  returned. 

"Yes,"  Miss  Helen  responded,  "you  are  here 
for  study,  and  surely  nothing  will  give  you  a 
better  groundwork  for  your  English  literature 
than  a  flight  to  England.  I  am  sure  Miss  Barnes 
will  not  object  to  your  spreading  out  your  prize 
a  little  thinner  so  it  will  last  longer,  for  I  promise 
you  shall  be  at  no  great  expense.  Miss  Barnes 
will  so  soon  be  returning,  that  I  have  not  the 


128  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

least  doubt  but  that  she  will  consent  to  your  re- 
maining in  our  company  if  I  talk  the  matter 
over  with  her.  You  remember  that  she  does 
not  take  her  party  anywhere  except  on  the  Con- 
tinent, and  this  chance  for  seeing  England  is 
one  I  know  she  will  not  want  you  to  miss." 

"How  good  you  are,  Miss  Helen,"  Jo  an- 
swered heartily.  "  I  should  so  love  to  go." 

"  Perhaps  you  can  go  to  Munich  with  us,  too," 
said  Mary  Lee.  "  I  don't  see  why  you  shouldn't 
go  along ;  as  you  have  been  allowed  to  leave 
Miss  Barnes'  party,  anyhow,  and  have  been 
with  us  most  of  the  time,  why  not  keep  right 
on  ?  I  am  sure  it  would  be  cheaper  than  going 
back  to  the  Wadsworth  school.  I  hope  you 
have  written  about  it  to  your  father,  so  you 
won't  have  to  go  back  when  Miss  Barnes  does. 
You  know  we  talked  it  over  before  we  went  to 
Spain." 

"  Yes,  I  have  written  all  that  you  have  said, 
and  I  am  expecting  an  answer  any  day,  for  if  I 
do  stay  with  you  Miss  Barnes  must  know,  other- 
wise, I  shall  have  to  be  ready  to  take  passage 
when  she  does.  I  really  have  great  hopes, 
though  I  am  deadly  afraid  to  talk  about  them 
for  fear  they  will  not  be  gratified." 

"When  do  we  start  for  England,  Aunt  Helen?" 
asked  Nan. 

'VLet  me  see.    The  Huttons  are  coming  back 


Across  the  Channel  129 

next  week  so  we  shall  have  to  give  up  the  apart- 
ment then." 

"  It  doesn't  seem  possible  that  we  have  had  it 
two  months,"  remarked  Nan. 

"  That  is  because  you  were  not  here  during  a 
whole  month  of  our  stay.  I  think  we  may  as 
well  start  off  at  once,  so  as  not  to  have  to  make 
two  removes.  We  shall  want  to  get  to  Munich 
as  near  the  first  of  October  as  we  can,  so  you 
girls  may  arrange  for  school  work  as  promptly 
as  possible. 

"What  do  you  say,  Mary?"  She  turned  to 
Mrs.  Corner  who  had  been  listening,  but  had 
taken  no  part  in  the  conversation.  "  I  know 
you  are  rather  afraid  of  the  English  climate,  and 
I  don't  wonder,  but  September  will  not  be  as 
dubious  as  April,  I  am  sure.  Often  the  weather 
then  is  the  very  loveliest.  Will  you  go  with  us, 
or  shall  we  leave  you  and  the  twinnies  here  ?  " 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  came  mournful  wails  of  protest 
from  the  twins.  "  Don't  leave  us  behind,  Aunt 
Helen." 

"  If  you  get  tired,"  went  on  Miss  Helen,  still 
addressing  Mrs.  Corner,  "  we  can  leave  you 
with  one  or  two  of  your  brood  in  some  quiet 
place  while  we  make  short  migrations." 

"  You  put  it  so  alluringly,"  said  Mrs.  Corner, 
"  that  I  would  be  very  ungracious  if  I  didn't 
fall  in  with  your  plan.  I  think  I  can  stand  it  for 


130  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

a  short  time,  for  I  could  rush  down  to  Torquay, 
or  some  such  place  if  it  turned  suddenly  chilly. 
I  have  a  weakness  for  tagging  along  with  these 
girls,  strange  as  my  taste  might  appear  to  out- 
siders. I  think  they  should  see  London,  and 
since  you  agree  to  leave  me  behind  whenever 
the  energies  of  the  party  become  too  much  for 
my  powers,  I  agree  to  go." 

"  Good  !     Good  !  "  cried  the  twins. 

"  Then  since  we  are  all  agreed,"  said  Miss 
Helen,  "  we  may  as  well  make  out  our  line  of 
march.  Nan,  just  hand  me  my  Baedekers,  those 
two  on  Great  Britain  and  London." 

Nan  hastened  to  obey.  "  I  always  get  so  ex- 
cited when  it  comes  to  the  point  of  making  out 
the  route,"  she  said.  "  What  do  you  propose, 
Aunt  Helen?" 

"  I  thought  it  would  be  rather  fun  to  let  each 
one  choose  the  place  she  wants  most  to  see,  and 
if  her  reason  is  good  and  sufficient,  and  the 
place  is  within  a  reasonable  route  we'll  take  it 
in." 

"  That's  a  fine  plan,"  declared  Nan.  "  Who's 
to  begin  ?  " 

"  Your  mother,  I  think." 

All  eyes  were  turned  on  Mrs.  Corner.  "  I 
vote  for  Canterbury,"  she  said.  "  We  crossed 
from  Dieppe  last  time  and  did  not  take  it  in. 
There  are  three  interests  for  me  there  :  first,  the 


Across  the  Channel  131 

cathedral,  second,  the  Huguenot  church  in  the 
crypt,  and  third,  the  association  with  the  Canter- 
bury pilgrims." 

"  Good  child,"  cried  Miss  Helen.  "  Go  up 
head.  Your  reasons  are  excellent.  Moreover, 
if  we  cross  from  Calais  to  Dover  we  shall  be  ex- 
actly on  the  line  to  London  when  we  take  in 
Canterbury.  By  all  means  Canterbury,  and  in- 
cidentally Dover,  which  has  a  wonderfully  fine 
old  castle.  Now  you,  Nan." 

"  No,  you,  Aunt  Helen." 

"  Then  I  choose  Oxford  which  is  always  in- 
teresting to  me  and  will  be  to  you.  So  far  it 
stands  Dover,  Canterbury,  London,  Oxford. 
What  next  ?  Your  turn,  Nan." 

"I'd  love  the  Lake  District  above  all  things, 
if  it  is  within  the  limits.  You  know  I  made  a 
special  study  of  that  region  last  year  when  I 
was  getting  up  my  theme.  I  should  so  like  to 
see  that  little  Dove  cottage  where  Wordsworth 
and  his  sister  Dorothy  lived,  and  there  are 
dozens  of  spots  that  the  poems  refer  to  that  I 
should  love  to  see.  Next  to  the  Lakes  I  should 
like  the  Lorna  Doone  country." 

"  We  certainly  must  manage  one  of  them, 
the  Lakes  if  it  is  possible,  for  yours  is  a  most 
worthy  reason.  Now,  Jo,  you  have  the  next 
say." 

"  Stratford-on-Avon  is  mine,  please.     I  don't 


132  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

think  I  have  to  give  any  reason  for  wanting 
to  go  to  the  Shakespeare  country." 

"  No,  it  is  quite  obvious.  It  works  up  beauti- 
fully, for  it  is  not  far  from  Oxford.  Now,  Mary 
Lee,  what  do  you  choose?" 

"  If  you  say  Oxford  I  will  take  Cambridge, 
though  London  is  what  I  most  want  to  see,  so 
leave  out  Cambridge  if  it  is  an  out-of-the-way 
place.  I  am  crazy  to  see  the  Zoo  in  London, 
and  after  that  anything  will  suit  me." 

Miss  Helen  smiled.  Mary  Lee's  fondness  for 
animals  was  always  evident.  "  You  shall  cer- 
tainly see  the  Zoo,"  her  aunt  told  her,  "and 
when  we  get  to  London  we  will  follow  the  same 
plan  of  choosing  what  we  like  best ;  then  every 
one  will  be  suited.  We  may  have  to  leave  out 
Cambridge,  but  we  shall  see  later.  What  is 
your  choice,  Jack  ?  " 

Jack  had  been  thinking  very  hard.  "  I'd  like 
to  see  the  white  peacock  on  that  castle  wall," 
she  said. 

"  Rather  vague,"  Nan  murmured  to  her 
mother.  "What  castle,  chickadee?  Where 
did  you  hear  about  white  peacocks?" 

"  Mr.  St.  Nick  told  me.     He  saw  them." 

"  Oh,  I  know ;  she  means  Warwick,  Aunt 
Helen.  I  remember  that  Mr.  St.  Nick  and 
Miss  Dolores  were  there.  Isn't  it  Warwick, 
Jack?" 


Across  the  Channel  133 

"  I  think  so." 

"  That  will  not  be  out  of  our  way  at  all,"  said 
Miss  Helen.  "We  can  include  that  in  our 
Shakespeare  country,  for  it  is  practically  the 
same.  Now,  Jean." 

This  young  person's  desires  were  divided  be- 
tween a  wish  to  eat  clotted  cream  in  Devonshire 
and  to  see  Southdown  lambs  which  would  grow 
up  to  be  sheep.  The  good  things  of  life  were 
generally  uppermost  in  Jean's  mind.  She  had 
read  of  clotted  cream  in  one  of  her  favorite 
story-books,  and  had  heard  Mr.  St.  Nick  dis- 
course upon  the  Southdowns. 

"  What  a  choice,"  cried  the  others. 

"Well,"  began  Jean  in  an  aggrieved  voice, 
"I'm  sure  everybody  feels  crite  as  I  do,  only 
they  don't  say  so/' 

"  I  think  there  will  be  no  difficulty  about  in- 
dulging your  yearning  for  clotted  cream  in 
London,"  her  aunt  told  her.  "As  for  the 
Southdowns,  we  can  perhaps  come  back  by 
way  of  New  Haven  and  Dieppe  when  you  will 
be  able  to  see  the  Southdowns  of  Sussex,  so 
probably  both  your  desires  can  be  fulfilled." 

"  I  wish  I  had  made  two  wishes,"  said  Jack 
regretfully.  It  was  always  a  grievance  when 
one  twin  had  anything  the  other  did  not. 

"Suppose  you  were  to  make  another,  what 
would  it  be?"  asked  her  aunt. 


*34  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Jack  considered.  "  I  think,"  she  decided,  "  I 
should  like  to  see  the  moping  owl." 

"You  ridiculous  child,"  cried  Mary  Lee,  "to 
go  to  England  to  see  owls  and  peacocks  that 
you  can  see  any  time  at  home." 

"  Well,  I  never  did  see  a  white  peacock  nor 
a  moping  owl,"  said  Jack,  "  and  I'm  sure  you 
want  to  go  to  the  Zoo  yourself.  I've  seen  hooty 
owls,  but  not  the  moping  kind.  Uncle  Landy 
showed  me  a  hooty  owl  that  used  to  live  in  our 
barn  and  catch  mice." 

"  Have  you  an  idea  what  she  is  talking 
about?"  Jo  asked  Nan. 

"Of  course  I  have,"  returned  Nan,  putting 
her  arm  around  her  little  sister.  "  I  remember 
the  creature  that  Unc'  Landy  used  to  call  a 
hooty  owl,  and  Jack  has  heard  me  repeat 
Gray's  Elegy  too  often  for  me  not  to  know 
about  the  moping  one.  I'm  afraid,  dearie," 
she  turned  to  Jack,  "  that  you  wouldn't  see  the 
moping  owl  if  you  went  to — what  is  the  name  of 
the  place,  Aunt  Helen,  Stoke  Poges  ?  Thank 
you.  I  don't  know  how  long  owls  live  but  I 
fancy  that  special  owl  must  have  died  years 
ago  ;  if  not,  he  must  be  ready  now  to  drop  off 
with  old  age,  so  he  couldn't  possibly  fly  to  the 
'ivied  tower.' " 

"  We  can  take  a  day  for  Windsor  castle  and 
Stoke  Poges,  perhaps,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "  even 


Across  the  Channel  135 

though  we  can't  be  sure  of  the  owl.  Let  us  see 
how  our  itinerary  reads  now.  From  Calais  to 
Dover,  to  Canterbury,  to  London,  to  Oxford,  to 
Cambridge — that  means  retracing  our  steps  a 
little  if  we  go  to  the  latter." 

"  Oh,  but  you  know  I  gave  up  Cambridge," 
said  Mary  Lee.  "  I  really  am  not  so  very  keen 
about  it ;  I'd  rather  see  Oxford,  anyhow." 

"  How  very  English  that  keen  sounds," 
laughed  Nan.  "  I  know  where  you  picked 
that  up  ;  from  those  English  girls  we  met  at 
Madame  Lemercier's." 

"  Now  let  me  see  what  we  can  do,"  said  Miss 
Helen  still  absorbed  in  her  plans.  "  We  shall 
probably  have  to  leave  out  Cambridge,  for  it  is 
a  pretty  long  list  to  cover  in  so  short  a  time. 
We  will  say  Oxford,  Stratford-on-Avon  and 
Warwick.  We  will  try  for  the  Lakes  and  let 
Jean  eat  her  clotted  cream  in  London,  so  that 
will  leave  out  Devonshire,  and  if  we  come  back 
by  way  of  Dieppe  we  shall  sail  from  Newhaven 
and  that  will  give  us  a  glimpse  of  Sussex.  That 
will  be  the  better  way  and  I  think  we  can  do  it 
all  without  too  great  a  rush.  Now,  off  with 
you,  and  begin  to  pack  up." 

The  girls  scudded  to  their  different  rooms, 
and  began  to  chatter  over  the  new  plans.  "  I 
wish  we  could  go  to  Scotland,"  said  Nan,  "  but 
we  are  trying  to  do  a  great  deal  in  a  very  short 


136  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

time,  which  mother  thinks  is  always  a  mistake. 
You  see  we  gave  up  so  much  time  to  Spain 
that  we  have  very  little  left  for  England,  but  I 
am  awfully  glad  you  are  to  have  a  whack  at 
it,  Jo." 

"  It  is  beyond  my  wildest  hopes,  for  I  thought 
France  and  Germany  would  be  my  limit.  It  is 
all  due  to  that  blessed  aunt  of  yours.  I  believe 
half  the  reason  she  suggested  the  trip  was  on 
my  account." 

"  Don't  you  believe  it.  She  thinks  it  will  be 
great  for  us  all,  though  I  know  she  included 
you  when  she  first  thought  of  the  advantage 
of  it.  Once  we  settle  down  in  Munich  there 
will  be  five  solid  months  of  German." 

"  And  that  is  no  cinch,"  declared  Jo. 

"It  is  a  fearsome  language,"  agreed  Nan, 
"  though  they  do  say  ours  is  about  as  hard.  I 
don't  believe  that,  however,  for  I  am  sure  get- 
ting the  pronunciation  of  English  is  much  easier 
than  to  conquer  that  fearful  German  grammar ; 
ours  is  mere  child's  play  compared  to  it.  You 
are  not  going  to  take  all  those  things,  are 
you,  Jo  ?  We  shall  be  gone  only  a  month,  and 
the  bulk  of  our  luggage  will  be  left  in  storage 
here  for  us  to  pick  up  on  our  way  back." 

"Who's  getting  English  expressions  now ?" 
queried  Mary  Lee  from  the  depth  of  a  trunk. 
"  Why  don't  you  say  baggage  ?  " 


Across  the  Channel  137 

"  Because  they  won't  know  what  I  mean  in 
England.  I  say  but  we'll  have  a  lot  of  boxes, 
shan't  we  ?  "  she  went  on  with  a  strong  English 
accent.  "  My  word,  but  I'm  a  silly  ass  to  think 
I  can  get  all  this  in  one  box.  How  is  that,  Jo  ? 
Shall  I  be  taken  for  an  English  girl,  do  you 
think  ?  There,  I  believe  I  have  chosen  judi- 
ciously. I  must  go  and  ask  mother.  Perhaps 
she  will  think  I  shall  not  need  that  extra  frock." 

Another  week  saw  the  travelers  on  their  way. 
After  a  short  crossing  from  Calais,  which  every 
one  dreaded,  but  which  no  one  minded  in  the 
least,  they  set  foot  on  the  pier  at  Dover.  "  If 
any  one  mentions  the  white  cliffs  of  Dover  to 
me,"  said  Miss  Helen  at  starting,  "  I'll  cut  out 
her  special  choice  of  places  from  the  trip."  And 
in  merry  defiance  the  girls  skirted  the  subject, 
saying  everything  but  the  exact  words,  till  Miss 
Helen  threatened  to  abandon  them  at  the  first 
stopping-place. 

Mrs.  Corner  declined  the  steep  walk  to  the 
castle,  but  the  girls  were  all  eager  to  take  it, 
and  were  not  disappointed  in  what  the  place 
had  to  offer.  Nan's  romantic  soul  delighted  in 
the  banquet  hall,  the  little  gallery  where  the 
minstrels  used  to  sit  and  the  small  room  where 
the  ladies  retired  apart.  "  I  can  fancy  it  all," 
said  the  girl.  "  Never  have  I  had  those  old 
times  brought  before  me  so  vividly." 


138  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Old  times,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "This  isn't 
nearly  so  old  as  things  we  saw  in  Spain." 

"  But  I  don't  read  Spanish  romances  and  I 
do  read  English  ones,"  retorted  Nan. 

The  magnificent  array  of  armor  greatly  in- 
terested Jo,  who  examined  coats  of  mail,  hel- 
mets and  shields  to  her  heart's  content.  Jack 
was  awe-stricken  by  the  well  three  hundred  feet 
deep,  but  Jean  was  most  interested  in  the  birds 
outside  the  castle  and  the  flowers  in  the  cran- 
nied wall. 

The  way  to  Canterbury  was  short  and  here 
they  arrived  before  night,  to  be  established  in  a 
quaint  little  hotel  but  a  stone's  throw  from  the 
great  cathedral. 

"  I  am  glad  the  town  still  looks  so  old,"  said 
Nan.  "  One  doesn't  need  so  much  imagina- 
tion to  fancy  the  pilgrims,  and  as  for  the  cathe- 
dral,— well, — words  fail." 

A  daily  visit  to  the  cathedral  seemed  a  neces- 
sity to  them  all.  They  would  wander  around 
the  beautiful  close,  admiring  this  fine  ruin,  that 
old  porch  until  it  was  time  for  afternoon 
service  when  all  would  go  to  spend  an  hour 
in  the  beautiful  interior  while  the  service  went 
on. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions  that  Jack 
was  found  to  be  missing.  "She  was  here  a 
minute  ago,"  said  Nan.  "  You  all  go  in  and 


Across  the  Channel  139 

I  will  try  to  hunt  her  up.  Very  likely  she  is 
watching  the  rooks ;  she  is  crazy  about  them." 
But  search  as  she  would  no  Jack  did  she  find, 
and  finally  decided  to  join  the  others  in  the 
church.  She  had  scarcely  seated  herself,  when, 
looking  across  to  the  seats  in  the  choir,  she  saw 
Jack  smiling  from  the  archbishop's  pew,  quite 
happily  settled  by  no  less  personage  than  the 
gracious  wife  of  the  archbishop  himself. 

"  How  did  you  dare  to  go  there?  "  asked  Nan 
severely  when  she  encountered  her  waiting  at 
one  of  the  great  doors  after  service. 

"  A  lady  invited  me,"  said  Jack  coolly,  not 
at  all  appreciating  the  fact  that  she  had  been  in 
the  seats  of  the  mighty.  "  I  was  standing  in  the 
doorway  looking  around  for  you  all,  and  that 
nice  pleasant  lady  came  along  and  asked  if  I 
were  alone.  I  said  yes,  but  that  I  was  looking 
for  my  family.  Where  do  strangers  sit?  I 
said,  and  she  told  me  to  come  with  her,  so  I 
went." 

"  She  was  the  archbishop's  wife,"  Nan  told 
her,  "  and  you  have  been  quite  honored.  I  sup- 
pose you  were  out  watching  the  rooks  and  that 
was  why  we  couldn't  find  you." 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  glad  I  was,  for  I  wouldn't 
have  sat  in  the  archbishop's  pew  if  I  had  gone 
in  with  you,"  returned  Jack  complacently. 
She  always  comforted  herself  by  deriving  such 


140  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

benefit  as  she  could  from  any  of  her  escapades, 
and  if  truth  must  be  told  she  usually  did  come 
off  with  flying  colors. 

Mrs.  Corner,  who  was  interested  in  getting 
some  records  for  a  friend  at  home,  determined 
upon  a  visit  to  the  pastor  of  the  Huguenot 
church,  and  took  Mary  Lee  with  her  as  the 
others  had  planned  to  go  to  St.  Martin's.  "  You 
can  tell  us  about  your  visit  and  we  will  tell  you 
about  ours,"  said  Mary  Lee  to  the  others. 
"  Time  is  too  short  for  everybody  to  do  every- 
thing." 

"  It  was  fine,"  cried  Nan  when  she  met  Mary 
Lee  later  in  the  day. 

"  He  is  the  dearest  man,"  responded  Mary 
Lee,  "and  he  told  us  such  interesting  things, 
how  Queen  Elizabeth  let  the  Huguenot  refugees 
have  their  services  in  the  crypt  of  the  cathedral, 
and  how  there  have  been  uninterrupted  services 
held  there  ever  since.  There  used  to  be  a 
great  many  Huguenots  in  Canterbury,  and 
there  are  still  a  number  of  French  names, 
though  a  great  many  have  become  Anglicized. 
Baker  used  to  be  Boulanger,  and  White  used  to 
be  Blanc.  Now  the  congregation  is  very  small, 
and  there  is  very  little  money  to  pay  the  min- 
ister, but  he  is  full  of  faith,  and  is  so  enthusiastic 
and  simple-hearted.  He  believes  that  every- 
thing will  come  out  all  right.  Just  think,  Nan, 


Across  the  Channel  141 

if  it  were  not  for  him  the  services  would  have  to 
stop,  and  after  all  these  years  it  would  be  a 
shame.  If  I  were  very  rich  I  would  send  him  a 
big  fat  check,  for  I  don't  know  any  one  who 
would  use  it  more  unselfishly.  He  lives  in  the 
tiniest  little  house,  and  'does  for  himself  as 
they  say  in  England,  He  had  been  working  in 
his  garden  when  we  got  there,  and  apologized 
for  his  appearance,  but  I  just  loved  his  simple 

ways,  and — oh  dear "  She  paused  to  take 

breath. 

"  Go  on,"  said  Nan.  "  I  am  tremendously  in- 
terested." 

"He  is  so  dear,"  continued  Mary  Lee,  "  and 
brought  out  some  of  the  very  old  books  he  has, 
for  as  he  said, '  I  will  show  you  the  so  many  in- 
teresting things  that  I  have.'  He  left  his  parish 
in  Canada  to  come  over  here  to  take  up  this 
work  because  there  was  no  one  else  who  would 
do  it,  and  he  is  so  eager  for  the  honor  of  this 
early  church.  He  doesn't  seem  to  care  at  all 
about  himself.  He  ought  to  have  a  nice  big 
rectory  instead  of  that  box  of  a  house,  and  he 
believes  that  some  day  he  will  have,  if  it  is  best, 
but  he  thinks  more  of  its  being  a  dishonor  to  the 
church  than  of  his  own  discomfort  to  live  as  he 
does.  We  are  all  going  to  the  service  in  the 
crypt  to-morrow  afternoon.  Do  you  know 
who  Beza  was  ?  We  are  going  to  hear  some  of 


142  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

the  old  hymns  that  are  in  the  old  Beza  hymn- 
book,  and  they  will  sing  them  just  as  their  fore- 
fathers did,  the  pastor  promised  us." 

"  Good  ! "  cried  Nan.  "  I  want  to  go,  too. 
We  haven't  had  a  bad  time,  either,  Mary  Lee. 
You  know  St.  Martin's  was  a  Christian  church 
before  Saxon  days  and  before  St.  Augustine 
came  to  Great  Britain.  It  was  fixed  up  as  a 
chapel  for  Queen  Bertha  ;  she  was  the  wife  of 
Ethelbert.  We  saw  the  old  font  where  he  was 
baptized.  There  are  some  curious  slits  in  the 
thick  walls,  and  they  are  called  '  leper's  squints/ 
for  you  see  the  lepers  couldn't  go  inside  but 
stood  outside  and  peeped  in.  The  verger  saw  we 
were  more  interested  than  most  visitors  are  and 
he  told  us  a  lot.  He  showed  us  where  the  old 
wall  began  and  where  the  authentic  Roman 
bricks  are.  There  is  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
town  and  the  cathedral  from  the  churchyard.  I 
brought  you  an  ivy-leaf  that  had  fallen  from  the 
vine  over  the  church,  and  we  got  some  post- 
cards and  a  little  pamphlet  on  our  way  home. 
Aunt  Helen  says  it  is  called  the  Mother  Church 
of  England,  and  that  though  at  Glastonbury 
Abbey  the  church  had  its  actual  beginnings, 
that  it  is  now  in  ruins.  I  should  love  to  go  to 
Glastonbury,  but  I  am  afraid  we  cannot  do  it  on 
this  trip." 

"  You  know  Aunt  Helen  has  promised  that 


Across  the  Channel  143 

some  time  we  shall  come  over  and  spend  a 
whole  summer  in  England,  and  then  we  can 
go." 

"I'd  like  to  spend  weeks  in  Canterbury,  and 
come  to  know  every  brick  and  stone  by  heart. 
Aunt  Helen  and  I  are  making  a  list  of  the 
places  we  love  best  and,  as  you  say,  some  day 
we  are  coming  back  and  we  mean  to  stay  a 
long  time  in  each  of  those  places  we  do  love. 
At  least  that  is  what  we  say  we  will  do,  and  it 
is  nice  to  think  that  we  may." 

"  Hasn't  it  been  an  interesting  day  ?  I  never 
expected  to  get  so  enthusiastic,  but  somehow 
that  dear  French  pastor  stirred  me  up  so  I 
couldn't  help  being  wild  about  everything  he 
was  interested  in." 

"  Only  one  more  day  and  then  London,"  said 
Nan,  half  regretfully. 

"  That  will  be  fascinating  enough,  dear 
knows.  Who  could  have  believed  it,  Nan, 
when  you  were  playing  your  tunes  on  a  log  for 
a  make-believe  piano  and  I  was  running  around 
with  Phil,  that  in  a  couple  of  years  we  should 
be  flying  all  over  Europe." 

Nan  looked  thoughtful.  Those  days  did 
seem  very  far  distant  now,  yet  they  were  dear 
days,  and  even  with  lack  of  means  they  had 
enjoyed  life  in  that  old  Virginia  home.  "  Shall 
we  ever  be  content  to  settle  down  again,  I  won- 


144  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

der  ?  "  she  said.  "There  is  still  so  much  ahead  ; 
school,  college,  and  then " 

"  The  then  is  a  long  way  off  still,"  said  Mary 
Lee  laughing.  "  I  don't  believe  we  need  to 
bother  about  it  yet." 

"  Sensible  as  ever,  Mary  Lee,"  said  Nan  with 
an  answering  laugh. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
IN  LONDON  TOWN 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN   LONDON   TOWN 

THE  bells  were  ringing  out  the  noon  hour 
when  the  Corners  arrived  in  London,  yet  it 
seemed  a  quiet  and  dignified  place  after  Paris. 
Miss  Helen  had  chosen  a  neat  little  hotel  for 
their  stopping-place  to  which  they  drove  di- 
rectly. The  party  had  amused  themselves  dur- 
ing the  journey  from  Canterbury  by  choosing 
what  they  most  wanted  to  see.  Mrs.  Corner 
selected  Westminster  Abbey,  Nan  the  National 
Gallery,  Jo  the  British  Museum,  Mary  Lee  the 
Zoo,  Jack  the  Tower,  and  Jean  Kensington 
Gardens. 

"  Gracious  !  but  there  is  a  lot  to  see,"  Jo  re- 
marked as  she  turned  over  the  leaves  of  a  copy 
of  Baedeker's  London.  "  It  would  take  weeks 
to  do  it  all,  and  I  suppose  the  longer  you  stay 
the  more  you  find  to  see  ;  that's  the  way  it  gen- 
erally is." 

"  It  is  particularly  so  with  London,"  Miss 
Helen  acknowledged.  "We  shall  have  time 
only  to  skim  off  the  cream  this  trip,  but  we  can 
see  the  most  important  things." 

It  was  Jo,  perhaps,  who  was  most  impressed 


148  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

by  Westminster  Abbey.  Many  of  the  things 
and  places  in  Europe  were  but  words  to  her  for 
she  had  "  scrambled  up "  as  she  said,  and  the 
time  she  had  passed  at  Miss  Barnes'  school  had 
been  her  only  opportunity  for  real  culture,  but 
she  was  so  bright  and  wide-awake,  so  eager  to 
absorb  information  that  Miss  Helen  congratu- 
lated herself  that  she  had  asked  the  Western 
girl  to  join  the  party. 

"  I  can't  realize  it,"  whispered  Jo,  after  stand- 
ing a  few  moments  in  mute  awe  before  the 
monuments  in  the  Poet's  Corner.  "  Of  course 
I  knew  there  was  a  Westminster  Abbey,  but  I 
hadn't  an  idea  what  it  was  like.  Now,  I  shall 
never  forget.  It  seems  a  stupendous  thought 
that  all  this  great  number  of  celebrities  should 
be  buried  here,  and  that  you  have  them  all  in  a 
bunch  before  you,  so  to  speak.  I  feel  now  as 
if  they  had  really  lived  and  not  as  if  they  were 
names  at  the  end  of  poems." 

The  visit  to  the  Abbey  took  up  most  of  the 
morning,  but  as  Mrs.  Corner  was  tired,  and  the 
twins  soon  wearied  of  looking  at  pictures,  it 
was  decided  that  Miss  Helen  should  take  the 
three  elder  girls  only  to  the  National  Gallery 
while  the  others  returned  to  the  hotel. 

Nan  would  fain  have  gone  at  once  to  the  pic- 
tures and  could  scarcely  be  dragged  away  to 
the  nearest  restaurant  for  a  hasty  lunch.  Bath 


\ 
In  London  Town  149 

buns  and  crumpets  were  ordered,  the  girls  say- 
ing that  these  things  were  so  often  mentioned 
in  stories  of  English  life,  but  when  Jo  asked  for 
lemonade  she  was  told  there  was  none,  but  she 
could  have  a  "  lemon  squash  "  which  proved  to 
be  the  same  thing.  "  I  shall  soon  catch  on  to 
the  Englishisms,"  said  Jo,  "and  you  will  hear  me 
asking  for  a  grilled  bone  and  skittles  and  win- 
kles with  a  lot  of  other  queer  things  before  I 
leave  here." 

"  I  like  the  National  Gallery  much  better  than 
the  Louvre,"  decided  Nan,  as,  foot-weary,  Miss 
Helen  declared  they  must  not  try  to  see  more 
that  day. 

"  We  can  come  back,"  she  said,  "  for  it  is  a 
remarkably  choice  collection.  There  are  so 
many  of  the  best  examples  of  the  best  artists 
that  one  gets  an  idea  of  nearly  every  school  of 
painting  through  many  of  the  world's  famous 
pictures  here." 

"  I  am  going  to  begin  a  collection  of  photo- 
graphs and  things  like  that  for  a  sort  of  History 
of  Art,"  Nan  decided.  "  It  will  be  a  lovely  way 
to  study,  and  there  are  so  many  good  reproduc- 
tions one  can  get." 

"That  is  an  excellent  idea,"  agreed  Miss 
Helen,  "  and  I  am  sure  Miss  Barnes  would 
greatly  approve  of  your  spending  some  of  your 
prize  money  in  that  way." 


150  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  What  shall  you  buy  with  the  rest  of  it, 
Nan  ?  "  asked  Jo. 

"  I  haven't  quite  decided,  but  I  think  I  shall 
spend  it  all  in  books  and  pictures.  Don't  you 
think,  Aunt  Helen,  it  would  be  nice  to  buy 
books  at  the  places  associated  with  the  authors  ? 
For  example  I  could  get  a  set  of  Shakespeare 
at  Stratford-on-Avon,  Wordsworth  in  Grasmere, 
Gray  at  Stoke  Poges,  and  so  on.  You  see  then 
they  would  serve  a  double  purpose." 

"  I  think  it  would  be  an  admirable  plan,"  said 
Miss  Helen,  "  and  just  the  kind  of  thing  you 
will  enjoy,  Nan.  Don't  spend  more  than  half 
your  money  in  England,  however,  for  you  will 
see  things  in  Germany  and  Italy  that  you  will 
want,  not  to  mention  Paris." 

"  I  think  I  will  make  my  fullest  collection  of 
Rossetti,  for  you  know  he  was  the  subject  of  my 
theme  that  won  the  prize." 

"That  would  be  quite  right  and  proper, 
and  you  will  find  some  charming  pictures 
here." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  shall  have  time  for  the 
Portrait  Gallery  to-day  ?  "  asked  Nan  wistfully. 

"  Surely  not  to-day,  dear.  There  is  nothing 
more  wearying  than  picture  galleries,  delightful 
as  they  are.  You  will  have  mental  indigestion 
if  you  try  anything  more.  Perhaps  you  and 
I  can  slip  off  sometimes  and  come  here  while 


Jo  MANAGED  TO  GET  NEXT  TO  THE  DRIVER. 


In  London  Town 

the  others  are  doing  things  we  don't  care  so 
much  about." 

"I'd  like  to  see  the  Zoo  well  enough,  but  I 
would  much  rather  see  pictures." 

"  Then  we  might  let  the  rest  go  to  the  Zoo 
while  you  and  I  do  pictures  all  day.  There  are 
the  Wallace  collection  and  the  Tate  Gallery  still 
to  see." 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Helen,  do  you  think  we  shall  be 
able  to  see  both  as  well  as  the  Portrait  Gallery  ?  " 

"  We  can  go  to  at  least  one  of  them,  I  think. 
They  are  some  distance  apart  so  we  cannot  at- 
tempt them  both  in  one  day.  To-morrow  we 
have  decided  to  go  to  the  Tower,  and  as  we 
shall  then  not  be  so  very  far  from  St.  Paul's  we 
must  see  that.  Perhaps  day  after  to-morrow 
will  give  us  a  chance  for  one  or  another  of  the 
galleries." 

Nan  gave  her  aunt's  arm  a  squeeze  ;  the  two 
were  walking  ahead  of  Mary  Lee  and  Jo.  Aunt 
Helen  was  always  so  ready  to  respond  to  Nan's 
desires,  for  they  were  great  chums. 

They  waited  for  a  'bus  which  would  take 
them  to  their  hotel,  all  clambering  on  top  that 
they  might  better  see  the  life  of  the  London 
streets.  Jo  managed  to  get  next  to  the  driver 
and  extracted  a  deal  of  information  at  the  ex- 
pense of  a  threepenny  tip.  In  consequence  the 
way  was  made  so  intensely  interesting  that  they 


152  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

were  carried  beyond  their  destination,  and 
walked  back  chattering  like  magpies. 

They  found  Jean  complacent  at  having  tasted 
clotted  cream,  and  Jack  in  the  dumps  because 
she  could  not  go  out  into  the  nearest  square. 
"  It  is  the  stupidest  old  place  I  ever  saw,"  she 
complained.  "They  lock  their  gates  and  won't 
let  you  in  unless  you  have  a  key.  At  home 
and  in  Paris  all  the  squares  are  free.  Stingy  old 
English !  They  keep  their  gardens  all  walled  up, 
too,  so  you  can't  get  so  much  as  a  peep  at  them. 
They  are  just  the  meanest  people  I  ever  saw." 

"  There  are  plenty  of  places  that  are  free," 
Nan  tried  to  console  her  by  saying. 

"Where?"  asked  Jack. 

"  Oh,  Hampstead  Heath,  Kensington  Gardens 
and  Hyde  Park,"  said  Nan. 

Jack  whispered  the  names  to  herself  as  she 
stood  looking  out  of  the  window.  "  Nan,"  she 
said  presently,  "  won't  you  go  with  me  to  Hyde 
Park  or  somewhere  ?  It  is  horrid  to  stay  in  the 
house." 

"  Dear  chickabiddy,  I  am  so  tired.  I  didn't 
realize  how  tired  I  was  till  I  reached  home.  I 
have  been  on  my  feet  the  entire  day.  Perhaps 
some  other  time  we  can  go." 

"  Is  it  very  far  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Not  so  very,  but  it  is  far  for  a  tired  body 
like  me  to  go  there  to-day." 


In  London  Town  153 

Jack  was  silent  a  few  moments.  "  London  is 
an  awfully  big  place,  isn't  it  ? "  she  said  pres- 
ently. 

"  The  biggest  city  in  the  world." 

"  Would  you  be  afraid  we'd  get  lost  if  we 
went  alone?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  I  would  carry  a  map, 
and  if  we  did  stray  into  unknown  regions,  I'd 
ask  a  bobby  to  set  us  right." 

"What  is  a  bobby?" 

"  A  policeman.  They  have  such  nice,  big, 
kind  policemen  here  ;  they  are  always  so  ready 
to  help  one." 

Jack  made  no  comment  and  presently  left  the 
room. 

"  Where  is  Jack  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Corner  as  they 
were  about  to  go  to  dinner. 

No  one  knew.  Nan  had  been  the  one  who 
saw  her  last.  "  She  wanted  me  to  go  to  Hyde 
Park  with  her,"  she  told  her  mother,  "  but  I 
said  I  was  too  tired." 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  little  monkey  could  have 
gone  off  by  herself  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.  I  verily  believe 
that  is  what  she  has  done,  the  minx  !  "  exclaimed 
Nan.  "  She  asked  me  whether  I  would  be 
afraid  of  getting  lost  in  such  a  big  city,  and  I 
very  innocently  told  her  I  would  trust  a  po- 
liceman to  set  me  right,  so  no  doubt  she 


154  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

has  serenely  gone  off  to  follow  out  my  sug- 
gestion." 

Mrs.  Corner  looked  alarmed.  "That  child 
alone  in  this  great  city !  Almost  anything  could 
happen  to  her." 

"  Trust  Jack,"  said  Nan.  "  She  will  come 
out  of  it  all  right.  See  if  she  doesn't." 

And  true  enough  they  had  not  sat  down  to 
the  table  before  Jack  appeared  jubilant.  She 
had  found  her  way  to  Hyde  Park,  had  been 
greatly  entertained  by  watching  the  people, 
and  had  been  piloted  home  by  a  series  of  bob- 
bies who  proved  very  acceptable  company. 
"  One  of  them  has  a  little  girl  just  my  age 
though  she's  'arf  an  'ead  taller,  he  told  me," 
Jack  informed  her  family,  "  and  she  knows  this 
part  of  London  like  a  book." 

"  Jack,"  said  her  mother,  "  if  you  are  going 
to  keep  on  doing  things  of  this  kind  I  shall  not 
have  an  easy  moment.  Some  dreadful  thing 
might  have  happened  to  you.  Have  you  for- 
gotten what  I  told  you  when  you  went  off  with 
the  cocker  in  Paris  ?  " 

"  No,  I  didn't  forget,  but  that  was  Paris,  and 
you  never  said  I  mustn't  go  here  where  every 
one  speaks  English.  I  sat  quite  still  after  I  got 
to  the  park,"  Jack  went  on  in  an  injured  tone. 
"  I  didn't  run  about  a  bit,  and  there  were  bob- 
bies with  me  all  the  way  back," 


In  London  Town 

"  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  allow  you  to  rush 
off  by  yourself.  You  have  often  been  told  that 
you  must  never  go  without  some  older  person." 

"  The  bobbies  were  much  older,"  argued  Jack 
plaintively.  "  I  did  remember  that  you  had 
said  that,  mother,  and  I  didn't  ask  any  children, 
only  the  bobbies." 

"Jack,  you  are  perfectly  incorrigible,"  re- 
turned her  mother.  "  Please  to  remember  that 
hereafter,  in  whatever  place  we  may  be,  that 
you  must  always  come  to  me  to  ask  permission 
before  going  anywhere  at  all.  If  you  disobey 
this  order  I  shall  have  to  send  you  to  a  school 
where  they  will  be  very  strict  with  you." 

Jack  sighed  and  looked  much  aggrieved.  As 
usual  her  point  of  view  seemed  a  very  reason- 
able one  to  her,  and  she  could  not  understand 
why  she  should  be  dealt  with  so  hardly  when 
her  intentions  had  been  good. 

She  kept  very  close  to  the  party  the  next 
day,  however,  and  lagged  behind  only  once. 
Nan  ran  back  to  see  her  standing  gazing  curi- 
ously at  one  of  the  Beef-eaters,  stationed  at  the 
point  from  which  they  had  just  made  their  exit. 
"  Do  come  on,  Jack,"  said  Nan.  "  What  are  you 
loitering  here  for  ?  " 

"  I  wish  you  all  wouldn't  be  in  such  a  hurry, 
Nan,"  said  Jack.  "  I  was  just  going  to  ask  the 
Beef-eater  whether  he  liked  beefsteak  or  roast 


156  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

beef  best,  and  whether  he  eats  anything  but 
beef." 

"  You  are  such  a  goose,  Jack,"  laughed  Nan, 
and  hurried  her  little  sister  along  to  where  the 
others  were  waiting  to  go  to  the  White  Tower. 

"  Now  that  we  have  seen  the  place  where  so 
many  sad  scenes  in  English  history  took  place, 
I  think  it  would  be  an  excellent  plan  for  us  all 
to  lunch  at  Crosby  Hall,"  said  Miss  Helen  as 
they  came  away  from  the  Tower. 

"  What  is  Crosby  Hall  ?"  asked  Jo. 

"It  is  a  famous  old  building  which,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  they  threaten  to  pull  down,  so  this 
will  probably  be  our  last  chance  of  seeing  it," 
Miss  Helen  answered.  "  It  was  built  in  1466." 

"  Before  America  was  discovered,"  ejacu- 
lated Jo. 

"  Yes,  and  it  was  considered  the  finest  house 
in  London  at  that  time.  It  was  once  occupied 
by  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  before  he  became 
Richard  III,  and  no  doubt  he  hatched  many  of 
his  plots  under  its  roof ;  it  was  very  convenient 
to  the  Tower,  you  will  see." 

"Where  is  it?"  Nan  asked. 

"On  Threadneedle  Street  or  Bishopsgate 
within,  I  am  not  quite  sure  which,  but  we  shall 
soon  see." 

"  What  dear  quaint  names,"  said  Nan.  "  I 
love  these  funny  old  streets." 


In  London  Town  157 

"Tell  us  some  more  about  Crosby  Hall,  Aunt 
Helen,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"  It  has  had  a  variety  of  experiences,"  Miss 
Helen  went  on.  "  For  after  being  a  private 
residence  it  became  a  prison,  then  it  was  turned 
into  a  meeting-house,  later  into  a  warehouse, 
next  into  a  concert  hall.  Now  it  is  a  restaurant 
and  a  very  good  one.  I  think  you  all  will  en- 
joy a  meal  in  the  hall  where  Shakespeare  was 
sometimes  a  guest.  He  mentions  the  place  in 
his  Richard  III." 

"  It  is  an  awfully  nice  surprise  to  spring  on 
us,  Miss  Helen,"  said  Jo.  "  I  think  it  will  be 
great  to  go  there." 

"What  are  we  going  to  have  for  lunch?" 
asked  Jean.  And  every  one  laughed. 

"  I  think  for  one  thing  we  must  have  some 
chops,  such  as  one  can  get  only  in  England," 
her  aunt  told  her.  "  There  is  a  fine  grill  at 
Crosby  Hall  where  they  cook  a  chop  to  perfec- 
tion. While  they  are  doing  the  chops  we  can 
look  around,  and  you  will  find  yourself  in  a 
very  interesting  place." 

"  I  should  think  it  was  interesting,"  said  Nan 
later.  "  Dear  me,  I  feel  so  queer  to  be  sitting 
here  where  Shakespeare  dined  and  where 
Richard  III  ordered  his  chops." 

"  Are  you  trying  to  make  a  pun  ?  "  asked  Jo. 

"No.     Why,  may  I  ask?" 


158  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  You  surely  remember  the  conundrum  about 
a  cold  chop  and  a  hot  steak." 

Nan  smiled,  but  immediately  looked  grave. 
"  We  are  entirely  too  near  the  Tower  to  make 
ghastly  puns,"  she  said.  "  Poor  dear  '  Lady 
Jane  Grey,'  and  poor  dear  little  princes.  I 
wonder  if  that  wicked  old  uncle  planned  that 
horror  within  these  walls." 

"  One  can  imagine  almost  anything,"  said 
Mrs.  Corner,  "  but  I  think  we  would  better  not 
try  to  imagine  too  much,  for  here  come  the 
chops,  and  they  are  solid  facts  indeed.  Look 
at  the  size  of  them." 

"  What  a  number  of  nice-looking  Englishmen 
are  here  taking  their  lunch,"  Nan  remarked  to 
Jo.  "  See  their  mugs  of  ale.  Doesn't  it  make 
you  think  of  Dickens  and  Thackeray  and  all 
those  ?  I'd  like  mighty  well  to  stay  in  London 
long  enough  to  prowl  around  all  those  old 
Dickens  places.  I'd  like  to  see  the  Charter- 
house, and  the  prison  where  Little  Dorrit  was, 
and  oh,  dear  me,  London  is  too  big  to  be  seen 
in  a  hurry.  Why  can't  we  stay  here  instead  of 
going  to  Germany  so  soon  ?  " 

"You  forget  about  that  summer  when  we  have 
promised  ourselves  to  come  back.  London 
will  keep,  Nan,"  her  aunt  reminded  her. 

They  lingered  over  their  meal,  content  with 
their  surroundings  till  Miss  Helen  mentioned 


In  London  Town  159 

that  if  they  started  at  once  there  would  be  time 
to  see  the  old  church  of  St.  Helen's,  adjoining, 
before  they  should  go  to  St.  Paul's. 

"You're  a  saint,  isn't  she,  Aunt  Helen  ?  "  said 
Jean.  "  Of  course  we  ought  to  go." 

"  We'll  not  go  for  that  reason  particularly," 
her  aunt  returned,  "but  because  Shakespeare 
was  a  parishioner  of  the  church  when  he  lived  in 
London,  and  because  it  is  a  quaint  little  place 
in  the  very  heart  of  what  Londoners  call  '  The 
City.'  This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  sec- 
tions of  London,  and  scores  of  famous  names  are 
connected  with  it.  If  we  had  time  we  could  see 
the .;  church  of  '  St.  Botolph  without  Bishops- 
gate'  where  John  Keats  was  baptized,  and 
could  go  to  Leadenhall  Street  to  see  the  old 
House  of  the  East  India  Company,  where 
Charles  Lamb  was  a  clerk  for  so  many  years. 
Alexander  Pope  was  born  not  very  far  from 
here,  and  Samuel  Pepys  is  buried  in  the  church 
of  St.  Olaves.  Then,  too,  the  old  Huguenot 
church  used  to  be  on  Threadneedle  Street,  and 
many  a  poor  emigre  was  given  a  helping  hand 
by  the  little  body  of  French  Protestants  who 
used  to  gather  there." 

"  Oh,  yes,  that  dear  pastor  of  the  French 
church  at  Canterbury  told  us  about  it,"  said 
Mary  Lee. 

"The  new  French   Protestant  church   is  at 


160  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Soho  Square,"  remarked  Mrs.  Corner,  "  though 
I  am  told  the  old  Dutch  Protestant  church  is 
still  in  Austin  Friars,  and  that  the  congregation 
refuse  to  part  with  their  property  valuable  as  it 
is." 

"  I'd  love  to  go  there,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"We  can't,  we  simply  can't,"  cried  Miss 
Helen.  "  We  shall  have  to  give  up  referring  to 
interesting  places  or  we  shall  become  unhappy 
because  we  haven't  time  to  give  to  all.  That 
summer  to  come  we  will  do  nothing  but  wander 
around  London,  and  after  we  have  seen  it  all  if 
there  is  any  time  left  we  will  give  it  all  to  Eng- 
land." 

"Oh,  dear,  but  I  shall  not  be  here,"  sighed  Jo. 

"Who  can  tell?"  said  Miss  Helen  cheerfully. 
"  One  never  knows  what  will  happen." 

"  That  is  true,"  returned  Jo  brightening. 

"If  any  one  had  told  us  that  day  we  met 
Daniella  Boggs  on  the  mountain  that  she 
would  one  day  go  to  boarding-school  with  us, 
and  that  she  would  be  ten  times  better  off  than 
we  were  then,  I  am  sure  we  would  have  laughed 
them  to  scorn,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  So,  Miss  Jo, 
don't  you  say  you  will  not  be  here,  for  maybe 
you  will." 

"  It  is  nice  to  think  there  can  even  come  a 
maybe,"  said  Jo,  "and  indeed  we  could  go 
further,  and  continue  the  Daniella  story  by  say- 


In  London  Town  161 

ing  that  if  any  one  had  foreseen  that  one  Jo 
Keyes  would  be  over  here  because  of  a  prize 
given  by  Daniella's  uncle  you  all  would  have 
laughed  more  scornfully  thari  before." 

After  St.  Helen's  came  St.  Paul's,  the  Whisper- 
ing Gallery,  the  crypt  and  the  many  parts  that 
all  visitors  must  see.  Then  there  was  another 
ride  home  on  the  top  of  an  omnibus,  this  time 
Jack  being  the  one  who  secured  a  seat  by  the 
driver,  and  if  he  did  not  earn  his  threepence  in 
answering  questions,  it  was  not  Jack's  fault. 

The  following  day  all  but  Miss  Helen  and 
Nan  set  out  for  the  Zoo.  The  latter  had  a  quiet 
day  browsing  around  the  galleries,  and  enjoy- 
ing one  of  the  times  the  two  delighted  in.  There 
was  always  a  peculiar  bond  of  intimacy  between 
them.  No  one  understood  Nan  as  well  as  her 
Aunt  Helen  and  there  was  no  one  to  whom  she 
more  readily  showed  her  inner  self.  Since  Miss 
Helen  was  Nan's  godmother  as  well  as  her  aunt, 
Nan  had  a  feeling  of  proprietorship  which  she 
claimed  whenever  occasions  like  this  offered. 
She  had  a  fine  time  spending  some  of  her 
prize  money  on  photographs,  having  Miss 
Helen's  undivided  attention  when  they  came  to 
select. 

"You  see,"  said  Nan,  "when  all  the  others 
are  along,  there  is  no  use  in  trying  to  do  any- 
thing like  this,  and  I  do  want  to  think  calmly, 


162  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

for  to  me  it  is  a  very  important  question,  what- 
ever it  may  be  to  the  others.  I  must  have  those 
two  Browning  portraits,  Aunt  Helen,  for  they 
were  Londoners  before  they  became  Floren- 
tines." 

"  I  should  certainly  get  those,"  Miss  Helen 
approved  the  choice. 

"  And  Dickens  and  Thackeray." 

"  Without  doubt." 

"And  would  you  get  Wordsworth  and  Rossetti 
here  or  trust  to  finding  copies  at  Grasmere  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  would  take  them  while  you  are 
sure  of  getting  just  what  you  want." 

"  Who  else  ?  Keats,  of  course,  and,  oh,  dear, 
it  is  going  to  be  harder  than  I  thought." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  a  better  plan  to  select  what 
you're  sure  you  want  to-day  and  come  again 
after  you  have  made  a  list?" 

"Oh,  but  can  we  find  time  to  come  again?" 

"  We'll  make  time,  even  if  we  have  to  stay  a 
day  longer  to  do  it" 

"  Bless  you,  my  bestest  aunt."  They  pored 
over  the  photographs  for  a  half  hour  longer  and 
then  Nan  declared  she  was  satisfied  for  that  day, 
and  they  went  off,  Nan  carrying  her  precious 
package  and  feeling  very  rich  in  her  new 
possessions. 

The  British  Museum  occupied  the  greater 
part  of  the  following  day,  which  was  ended  up 


In  London  Town  163 

in  Kensington  Gardens,  and  then  came  a  trip  to 
Windsor  Castle  which  included  a  further  journey 
to  Stoke  Poges  where,  if  Jack  did  not  see  her 
moping  owl,  Nan  found  a  charming  little  photo- 
graph of  the  old  churchyard,  and  on  the  way 
home  bought  a  pretty  copy  of  the  Elegy  in 
which  to  put  it.  There  was  a  second  visit  to 
the  National  Portrait  Gallery,  taken  one  day 
when  the  rest  were  out  shopping,  and  this  time 
Nan  completed  her  purchase  of  all  photographs 
she  intended  to  buy  in  London,  and  spent  so 
much  time  poring  over  her  collection  that  she 
was  in  danger  of  not  getting  her  trunk  packed 
in  time  the  next  day  when  they  made  their 
start  for  Oxford. 

"  I  feel  very  much  as  if  I  had  been  faring  on 
guide-books,"  said  Nan,  as  they  settled  them- 
selves in  the  train.  "And  as  for  Aunt  Helen, 
I  know  she  feels  like  one.  If  she  had  a  red 
cover  I  would  take  her  for  a  Baedeker." 

"  I  am  sure  Jean  knows  every  item  on  the 
list  at  the  pastry  cook's,  and  Mary  Lee  dreamed 
last  night  that  she  was  a  monkey  and  began 
climbing  over  me,"  said  Jo. 

"  Now,  Jo,"  began  Mary  Lee. 

"Well,  didn't  you?" 

"  I  had  a  sort  of  funny  dream  about  monkeys," 
Mary  Lee  admitted. 

"  As  for  Jack,"  Jo  went  on,  "  I  defy  any  'bus 


164  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

driver  in  London  to  keep  up  with  her  ques- 
tions." 

"  I  know  where  you  come,"  cried  Nan. 
"You  would  have  turned  into  a  mummy  if 
you  had  gone  to  the  British  Museum  once 
more." 

"She  is  anything  but  one  now,"  said  Miss 
Helen,  looking  at  Jo's  plump  figure  and  saucy 
nose. 

"As  for  me,"  put  in  Mrs.  Corner,  "I  feel  as 
if  I  had  met  many  old  friends  from  whom  I  am 
now  parting  with  regret." 

The  train  started  and  soon  the  smoke  of 
London  was  but  a  gray  cloud  in  the  distance. 


Ifi'  CHAPTER  IX 


WORK 


CHAPTER  IX 

WORK 

"  GET  up,  lazybones,  get  up.  Don't  you 
know  you  are  to  see  the  whole  of  Oxford  to- 
day and  go  to  Stratford  to-morrow  ? "  cried 
Nan,  shaking  Jo  from  her  slumbers. 

"Hm,  hm,"  answered  Jo  sleepily  turning 
over. 

Nan  gave  her  another  shake.  "  Don't  you 
know  that  the  toast  is  getting  colder,  the  black 
tea  is  getting  blacker,  the  eggs  getting  harder 
and  the  slabs  of  bacon  getting  slabbier  and 
flabbier  ?  I  am  going  to  breakfast." 

"  Dear  me,  Nan,  is  it  as  late  as  that?"  said 
Jo  sitting  up  suddenly. 

"  Yes,  and  there  is  honey  instead  of  the  mar- 
malade you  don't  like,"  replied  Nan  over  her 
shoulder.  "  Mother  got  some  yesterday." 

Jo,  thoroughly  aroused,  sprang  from  her  bed 
to  rush  through  her  toilet  and  join  the  others 
down-stairs. 

"  We  thought  maybe  you  didn't  care  to  see 
Oxford,"  said  Miss  Helen  smiling  as  Jo  came 
in  hurriedly. 


168  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Well,  no,"  drawled  Jo.  "  I've  seen  Har- 
vard, you  know,  and  what  are  colleges  any- 
how ?  I  never  expect  to  take  a  degree  and  why 
should  I  be  interested  in  Oxford  ?  Of  course  I 
will  go  with  you  all  if  you  insist,  but  if  it  were 
Earl's  Court,  for  example,  where  there  is  a 
maze,  a  water  toboggan  and  such  things,  I 
might  be  more  enthusiastic."  It  was  like  Jo 
to  turn  off  things  in  this  way,  and  every  one 
laughed. 

"You  know,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "that  Haw- 
thorne called  High  Street  the  noblest  old  street 
in  England,  so  that  is  one  of  the  things  we  must 
be  sure  to  see." 

"  And  Addison's  walk,"  put  in  Nan. 

"  To  be  sure,  and  you  girls  will  find  the 
Bodleian  Library  very  fascinating.  As  for  the 
colleges  themselves,  with  their  chapels  and 
quadrangles,  if  you  do  not  think  them  beauti- 
ful as  well  as  interesting  I  am  much  mistaken." 

"Again  we  sigh  for  that  entire  summer 
which  cannot  be  ours,"  said  Nan. 

"  Yet "  Miss  Helen  began. 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  you  are  going  to  say," 
interrupted  Nan,  "  and  we  know  all  about  that 
possible  future.  When  do  we  start  out?" 

"  As  soon  as  I  can  gather  the  brood  together. 
Don't  dawdle,  any  of  you,  if  you  love  me." 

Her  appeal  was  not  without  effect,  for  the 


Work  169 

whole  party  appeared  in  a  very  short  time,  and 
they  set  forth  to  go  from  college  to  college,  to 
walk  up  High  Street,  to  turn  into  Addison's 
walk  and  to  return  at  night  tired  out. 

"We  fairly  skipped  through,"  remarked  Mary 
Lee.  "  I  have  a  confused  jumble  of  colleges 
in  my  brain,  and  can't  for  the  life  of  me  tell 
Brasenose  from  Oriel  or  Lincoln  from  Queen's." 

"  Study  your  post-cards,  my  dear,"  said  Nan, 
"  and  they  will  tell  you." 

"  Not  everything." 

"  What  they  don't  tell  Baedeker  does,  so  I 
wouldn't  bother  my  dear  little  brain  with  trying 
to  remember  so  exactly.  As  for  myself,  Oxford 
represents  a  mass  of  beautiful  ivy-clad  build- 
ings, more  or  less  resembling  each  other,  lovely 
gardens,  chapels  and  cloisters,  a  cathedral,  a  li- 
brary and  one  long  fine  street.  That  is  all  the 
impression  my  mind  has  received.  After  a 
while  I  shall  try  to  separate  the  conglomeration 
by  looking  over  my  post-cards,  but  just  now  I 
am  capable  of  seeing  it  only  as  a  whole,  an  im- 
pressionistic picture,  as  it  were." 

"Shall  we  have  another  day  of  it,  Miss 
Helen  ?  "  asked  Jo. 

"  I  think  another  morning,  so  we  can  take  the 
train  for  Warwick  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  not  so 
very  far  and  we  need  not  start  very  early." 

"  Then,  ho  for  Stratford-on-Avon,  where  we 


170  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

shall  become  Shakespeare  mad,  and  for  War- 
wick where  Jack  can  see  her  white  peacocks," 
cried  Jo. 

Yet  the  glories  of  Warwick  Castle  were  less 
attractive  to  the  twins  than  the  little  tea-garden 
on  Mill  Street,  which,  indeed,  pleased  them  all. 

"  I  never  saw  such  a  dear  little  place,"  said 
Jack  with  satisfaction. 

"  That  cunning  cottage  with  vines  all  over  it," 
said  Jean. 

"  And  that  lovely  tangled  garden  down  to  the 
very  water's  edge,"  Nan  put  in. 

"  And  the  ducks,  look  at  the  ducks  !  "  cried 
Mary  Lee. 

"  Is  this  little  stream  really  the  Avon  ?  "  asked 
Jo.  "  What  a  fine  view  of  the  castle  from  here." 

"  It  is  the  loveliest  place  to  rest  in,"  said  Mrs. 
Corner  sinking  into  a  seat  by  one  of  the  little 
tables. 

"  Are  we  going  to  have  plum-cake  ? "  whis- 
pered Jean. 

"  Pig  !  "  exclaimed  Jack  scornfully. 

"  How  did  you  happen  upon  such  a  charming 
spot,  Helen  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  I  have  been  here  before,  and  it  was  one  of 
my  pleasantest  memories  of  Warwick.  Mother 
and  I  came  more  than  once  when  we  were  here." 

Nan's  thoughts  flew  back  to  her  stately  grand- 
mother, whom  she  had  known  but  such  a  short 


Work  171 

time,  and  she  fancied  her  sitting  at  one  of  the 
tables  sipping  her  tea  and  looking  up  at  the 
great  castle  walls.  The  girl  turned  to  her  Aunt 
Helen.  "  I  am  glad  you  told  us  that,"  she  said 
in  a  low  voice  and  Miss  Helen  gave  her  an  ap- 
preciative smile,  for  she  understood  what  was  in 
her  niece's  thoughts. 

"There  comes  a  boat  full  of  young  folks," 
cried  Jo.  "  Isn't  that  interesting  ?  It  is  just 
like  an  illustrated  story,  isn't  it  ?  They  are  go- 
ing to  stop  here  for  tea.  Aren't  the  men  fine 
looking,  and  the  girls  are  exactly  like  those  you 
hear  about  I  can't  say  that  they  have  the  style 
of  the  Americans,  but  they  have  lovely  com- 
plexions." 

"  Come,  let's  feed  the  ducks,"  suggested  Jack 
when  the  others  were  still  sipping  their  tea.  "  It 
will  be  such  fun,  Jean,  and  I  am  sure  they  are 
expecting  it." 

Jean  was  not  quite  sure  that  she  was  willing 
to  sacrifice  any  of  her  plum-cake  to  the  ducks 
but  concluded  she  would  give  them  some  bread. 
"  No  doubt  they  will  like  it  just  as  well,"  she 
told  Jack. 

They  lingered  so  long  in  the  charming  little 
garden  that  the  melodious  cathedral  chimes 
were  ringing  for  six  o'clock  when  they  reached 
the  hotel,  enthusiastic  in  their  praises  of  the 
castle  and  of  the  little  tea  garden  on  Mill  Street. 


1 72  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Stratford-on-Avon,  with  a  walk  across  the 
pleasant  country  to  Anne  Hathaway's  cottage 
took  them  an  hour  when  it  had  to  be  de- 
cided whether  the  Lakes  or  Devonshire  should 
be  included  in  the  next  move.  Finally,  Miss 
Helen  proposed  that  she  and  the  three  eldest 
girls  should  take  a  flying  trip  to  the  Lakes, 
leaving  Mrs.  Corner  and  the  twins  at  Warwick, 
a  place  where  they  were  delighted  to  stay,  with 
a  promise  of  the  tea-garden  every  afternoon  and 
a  sight  of  the  peacocks  on  the  wall  of  Warwick 
Castle  between  whiles.  Mary  Lee  declared  she 
much  preferred  Grasmere  to  Cambridge,  and  so 
Nan  had  her  wish,  for  she  beheld  Dove  Cottage, 
Helm  Crag  and  all  the  rest  of  the  places  made 
familiar  to  her  by  her  last  year's  study  of  Words- 
worth. The  limits  of  the  trip  were  reached  at 
the  Lakes,  and  then  they  turned  their  faces 
southward  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Sussex 
downs  on  their  way  to  Newhaven. 

Once  more  in  Paris  to  gather  up  trunks  and 
to  make  ready  for  a  long  stay  in  Munich  with  a 
glimpse  of  Switzerland  on  the  way.  There  had 
been  a  meeting  with  Miss  Barnes  and  her  party 
of  schoolgirls  and  great  doings  for  two  or  three 
days  before  the  Corners  should  separate  from 
the  others.  Jo,  to  her  great  joy,  had  received 
permission  to  stay  behind.  Daniella  had  bid- 
den them  all  a  reluctant  farewell.  The  summer 


Work  173 

had  been  a  sort  of  fairy-tale  to  the  little  moun- 
tain girl,  and  if  she  had  not  received  altogether 
correct  impressions,  and  had  often  been  be- 
wildered, yet  she  had  made  great  progress  and 
could  scarcely  be  recognized  as  the  same  girl 
who  had  so  fearfully  entered  Miss  Barnes's 
school  the  year  before.  Now  she  did  not  dread 
going  back,  for  the  same  company  with  whom 
she  had  been  traveling  all  summer  would  be 
hers  for  another  year.  Yet  she  bade  a  wistful 
farewell  to  her  first  friends,  the  Corners,  whisper- 
ing, "  I  wish  you  were  coming,  too,"  as  she  took 
her  place  in  the  train  which  should  bear  them  all 
to  Cherbourg. 

So  while  these  traveled  west,  the  Corner 
party  journeyed  east,  and  at  last  they  reached 
the  clean,  pretty  city  where  they  would  settle 
down  for  days  of  study.  The  two  younger 
girls  were  to  be  day-boarders  in  a  small  school, 
while  the  three  elder  ones  were  to  give  most  of 
their  time  to  particular  studies.  All  would 
have  lessons  in  German  while  Nan  wanted  to 
make  a  special  point  of  music. 

"  You're  going  to  stay  with  us,  mother, 
aren't  you  ?  "  said  Jean  wistfully.  "  You're  not 
going  to  leave  us  here  all  alone  like  we  were 
last  year?" 

Mrs.  Corner  smiled  at  the  aggrieved  tone. 
"  I  shall  stay  here  till  after  Christmas  anyhow," 


174  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

she  promised,  "  and  then  if  I  must  go  away  for 
the  coldest  months  we  shall  all  be  together  in 
Italy  by  the  first  of  April." 

Jean  sighed.  After  so  much  freedom  it  was 
hard  to  adjust  one's  self  to  school  routine,  and 
as  yet  she  had  not  settled  down  to  the  new  con- 
ditions. "  Shall  we  have  to  wear  funny  hats 
and  do  our  hair  in  braids  up  over  the  tops  of 
our  heads  or  around  our  ears  like  the  German 
girls  do  ? "  asked  the  little  girl  whose  looks 
were  something  of  a  matter  of  pride  to  her. 

"  I  think  you  will  do  as  you  have  always 
done  in  that  direction,"  her  mother  told  her. 
"  You  are  not  a  German  girl,  you  know." 

"  But  Fraulein  is  very  particular,"  spoke  up 
Jack.  "  To-day  one  of  the  German  girls  came 
with  her  hair  done  like  ours,  and  Fraulein 
marched  her  out  of  the  room  and  slicked  up 
her  hair  and  braided  it  so  tight  her  eyes  almost 
popped  out  of  her  head.  She  came  back  look- 
ing so  scared." 

"  And,  oh,  dear,"  groaned  Jean,  "  we  have  to 
walk  along  so  soberly  when  we  go  out  for  ex- 
ercise. We  don't  dare  turn  our  heads,  and  the 
girls  look  so  creer  in  those  funny  little  flat  hats, 
as  if  they  had  crackers  on  their  heads.  I  feel 
like  a  craker,  or  something,  myself." 

"  Do  you  mean  a  cracker  or  a  Quaker  ? " 
asked  Jack  mischievously. 


Work  175 

"  I  mean  a  craker  that  you  spell  with  a  cu," 
replied  Jean  with  dignity. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Nan  laughing,  "  you 
youngsters  mustn't  begin  to  whine  the  minute 
we  get  here.  Goodness  !  do  you  suppose  there 
are  not  thousands  of  girls  who  would  give  their 
eyes  to  be  in  this  beautiful  place  and  have  the 
chances  you  have  ?  We  have  been  junketing 
around  for  so  long  that  we  don't  want  to  do 
anything  else.  Every  mother's  daughter  of  us 
has  got  to  work ;  that  is  what  we  came  to 
Munich  for,  and  between  times  we  shall  have 
more  to  see  than  you  would  get  in  any  other 
dozen  cities  rolled  into  one." 

"  It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  talk,"  said  Jack. 
"You  are  going  to  operas  and  grown-up  things 
like  that,  and  we  can't." 

"  But  you  can  do  other  things,  and  the  operas 
and  concerts  are  a  part  of  my  musical  educa- 
tion ;  they  would  bore  you  to  death.  There  are 
ever  so  many  things  for  you  to  do." 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Jack,  getting  into  her  eldest 
sister's  lap.  Nan  always  made  things  pleasant 
for  her. 

"Well  there  is  the  Englischer  Garden,  a 
beautiful  park  that  isn't  walled  in  like  some 
of  those  in  England.  There  is  a  playground 
for  children  there  and  fine  walks  and  drives. 
Then  just  now  the  October  Fest  is  going 


176  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

on  ;  it  is  something  like  our  county  fair  at 
home." 

"  Are  there  merry-go-rounds  and  side- 
shows ?  " 

"  Yes,  ever  so  many." 

"  Good !  "  Jack  brought  her  hands  smartly 
together. 

"  And  then  there  are  the  museums  full  of  all 
sorts  of  interesting  things  that  you  will  like  to 
see.  On  Saturdays  we  can  make  lovely  ex- 
cursions to  Starnberger  See  or  the  Isarthal,  and 
on  some  other  days  there  is  music  played  by 
military  bands  in  different  places.  I  believe  it 
is  every  day  at  the  Guardhouse  on  the  Marien- 
platz,  and  every  other  day  at  the  Feldhernhalle 
on  the  Odeonsplatz,  but  we  can  find  out  exactly. 
Those  are  amusements  of  the  present ;  in  winter 
there  will  be  other  things." 

"What?" 

"  Well,  there  will  be  lots  of  skating." 

"  I  can't  skate  very  well." 

"  It  will  be  a  fine  chance  to  learn  here. 
About  Christmas  time  there  is  always  a  fairy 
play  for  children,  and  at  other  times  there  is  the 
marionette  theatre  that  you  and  Jean  will  adore. 
Then,  too,  we  shall  probably  go  to  the  moun- 
tains for  the  holidays  where  you  can  see  all  sorts 
of  funny  doings." 

"What  kind?" 


Work  177 

"  Oh,  ski-ing,  and  rodeling  and  all  that." 

"  They're  funny  words,  and  I  haven't  the 
least  idea  what  they  mean." 

"  Ski  is  spelled  with  a  k,  but  it  is  pronounced 
as  if  it  were  she,  and  rodeling  means  simply 
tobogganing  on  a  small  sled.  Skis  are  great 
long  things  something  like  snow-shoes.  I  am 
crazy  to  learn  to  ski,  for  it  must  be  something 
like  flying.  Then  there  will  be  the  carnival  that 
begins  in  January,  though  I  don't  suppose  we 
shall  see  much  of  that.  Besides,  Jack,"  she 
went  on,  "  the  Munich  streets  are  lovely.  There 
are  so  many  pretty  squares  and  parks  and 
fountains,  not  to  mention  the  shops,  so  I  don't 
think  we  could  get  very  lonely  or  bored.  After 
all  I  have  told  you  I  am  sure  you  will  think  it  is 
a  nice  place  to  be  in,  and  that  we  shall  have  a 
good  time  here." 

"  I  know  I  shall  when  you  are  around,  you 
dear  old  Nan,"  said  Jack,  rubbing  her  cheek 
against  her  sister's. 

"  Even  Aunt  Helen  is  going  to  study,"  Nan 
said.  "  She  knows  French  mighty  well  but  her 
German  isn't  up  to  the  scratch,  she  thinks,  and 
she  says  while  studying  is  in  the  air  she  will  take 
advantage  of  it." 

"  We  aren't  going  to  stay  in  this  hotel,  are 
we?" 

"No,  we  are  going  to  a. pension  Aunt  Helen 


178  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

knows  of.  There  isn't  room  for  us  there  now, 
but  next  week  there  will  be,  and  we  shall  prob- 
ably stay  there  till  we  go  to  Italy.  Aunt  Helen 
says  it  is  nice  and  homelike,  and  we  can  be  left 
there  in  perfect  safety  if  mother  and  she  have  to 
go  away." 

"Will  there  be  any  other  little  girls?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Very  likely  there  will  be. 
Now  I  must  go  and  practice  that  dreadful  Bach 
thing  that  I  am  getting  ready  for  to-morrow." 
She  gave  Jack  a  hug  and  went  off. 

"  Nan's  such  a  nice  old  comfort,"  said  Jack  to 
her  mother.  "  She  always  smooths  out  the 
wrinkles  for  me.  I  hope  she  won't  get  married 
before  I  do." 

"  I  don't  think  I  would  begin  to  worry  about 
that  just  yet,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  smiling. 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  worrying ;  I'm  just  taking  time 
by  the  oar-lock." 

Mrs.  Corner  laughed  outright  while  Jack 
wondered  why. 

"  Mayn't  we  go  out  into  that  pretty  square 
where  the  big  fountain  is  ?  "  she  asked. 

'•'- 1  don't  like  you  to  go  alone." 

"  But  it  is  so  near.  You  can  look  out  of  the 
window  and  see  it,  and  I  am  asking  permis- 
sion," said  Jack  as  if  the  mere  matter  of  asking 
were  all  sufficient. 

"  But  you  know  over  here  in  Europe  little 


Work 


179 


girls  don't  run  about  as  freely  as  they  do  at 
home.  Get  one  of  your  older  sisters  to  go  with 
you." 

"  Nan  can't ;  she  has  to  practice  and  Mary 
Lee  has  gone  somewhere  with  Jo,  and  Aunt 
Helen  went  to  see  about  lessons  or  books  or 
something." 

"  Then  I  will  go  with  you  and  sit  by  the  foun- 
tain while  you  amuse  yourselves." 

This  arrangement  pleased  the  twins  mightily. 
The  big  Wittelsbacher  fountain  in  the  Maximil- 
ianplatz  was  a  thing  to  be  admired  and  they 
were  never  tired  of  watching,  what  Jack  called, 
its  big  splash  of  water.  "  I  feel  so  satisfied 
when  I  look  at  it,"  she  told  her  mother.  "  I 
never  saw  a  fountain  with  so  much  water  all 
going  at  once." 

"  I  wish  we  could  have  brought  over  our  dear 
little  doggie,"  said  Jean  as  she  watched  number- 
less little  dachshunds  trotting  by. 

"  We  couldn't  very  well  do  it,"  Mrs.  Corner 
told  her,  "  for  we  should  have  had  to  carry  him 
around  everywhere,  and  there  is  a  law  in  some 
countries  which  makes  it  very  hard  for  travelers 
to  bring  in  their  dogs.  He  is  much  better  off 
where  he  is." 

"  I  am  afraid  he  will  forget  me,"  said  Jack, 
whose  dog  the  little  creature  really  was. 

"  I    don't   doubt   but   that   he  will  be  quite 


180  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

ready  to  make  friends  again,"  her  mother  told 
her. 

"  I  never  saw  such  a  crauntityof  dogs  as  there 
are  in  Munich,"  said  Jean.  "  I  think  everybody 
must  own  a  dog,  and  there  are  more  dachshunds 
than  any  other  kind." 

"  I  like  them  best,"  Jack  declared.  "  With 
their  little  short  legs  and  long  bodies  they  look 
so  funny,  and  they  have  such  serious  faces  as  if 
they  had  something  to  do  and  it  was  very  im- 
portant that  they  should  get  it  done." 

"  There  come  Aunt  Helen  and  the  girls,"  cried 
Jean. 

Miss  Helen  with  Mary  Lee  on  one  side  and  Jo 
on  the  other  mounted  the  little  incline  which  led 
past  the  bench  where  the  three  were  sitting. 
"  Why,"  cried  Miss  Helen,  "  what  are  you  doing 
here?" 

"  Mother  came  over  with  us  to  sit  by  the 
fountain.  Isn't  it  a  beauty,  Aunt  Helen  ?  We 
like  it  so  much." 

"  I  like  it,  too,  and  we  are  so  pleasantly  near 
it.  Indeed,  I  think  this  is  a  very  convenient 
part  of  the  city,  for  we  are  within  walking  dis- 
tance of  almost  everything.  Where  is  Nan  ?  " 

"  She  said  she  had  to  get  that  music  into  her 
fingers  before  to-morrow,  so  she  is  the  only  one 
who  didn't  come  out-of-doors." 

Miss  Helen  sank  down  on  the  bench  by  the 


Work  181 

side  of  Mrs.  Corner.  "I  am  tired,"  she  said, 
"and  in  this  thoroughly  democratic  place  where 
one  can  do  exactly  as  she  pleases,  I  don't  mind 
sitting  openly  in  a  square  where  the  public 
passes  by.  That  is  one  of  the  things  I  like 
about  Munich.  Nobody  seems  to  mind  wan- 
dering about  deliberately.  Men  and  women 
take  time  to  stare  into  the  shop-windows,  and 
no  one  pays  the  least  attention  to  them.  You 
can  wear  your  old  clothes  and  not  feel  that  you 
are  dressed  worse  than  half  your  neighbors. 
People  here  seem  to  live  for  something  more 
than  to  change  the  fashion  of  their  sleeves  and 
to  rush  for  ferry-boats  and  trains.  They  take 
time  to  enjoy  themselves,  as  few  do  at  home. 
I  wonder  if  it  is  too  late  for  a  cup  of  tea.  I  feel 
the  need  of  one." 

Mrs.  Corner  consulted  her  watch.  "  It  is  just 
a  little  after  five." 

"  Then,  Jack,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "  go  tell  Nan 
she  has  practiced  long  enough  and  I  want  her 
to  come  with  you  to  join  us  at  the  Conditorei 
on  the  Promenadeplatz.  We  will  go  there  and 
you  can  meet  us ;  it  is  only  a  little  way  from 
here." 

Jack  scampered  off  to  obey,  for  this  would  be 
a  new  entertainment  and  Nan  must  not  miss  it. 

"What  is  a  Conditorei?"  asked  Jean. 

"  It  means  a  confectioner's  as  near  as  I  can 


182  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

make  out,  though  this  one  seems  to  be  a  tea- 
room as  well.  It  is  a  very  pleasant  place  to  go. 
You  can  choose  your  cakes  at  the  counter  and 
take  them  to  the  table  with  you,  or  else  you  can 
order  them  brought.  I  generally  like  to  pick 
out  what  I  would  like  best." 

"  That  is  what  I  should  like,"  said  Jean  with 
much  satisfaction,  "  for  then  you  get  them 
sooner.  I  am  very  glad  you  came  along,  Aunt 
Helen,  for  we  mightn't  have  gone  to  the  tea 
place  if  you  hadn't." 

Jack  and  Nan  soon  appeared,  and  the  girls 
found  it  a  very  agreeable  thing  to  sit  in  the 
pleasant  little  place  watching  the  persons  who 
came  and  went.  There  were  many  Americans 
among  them,  and  the  Germans  were  noticeable 
from  taking  their  pet  dogs  with  them  here,  as 
to  other  shops. 

"You  always  see  a  collection  of  the  dear 
things  outside  the  big  department  stores,"  said 
Mary  Lee.  "  I've  counted  a  dozen  sometimes, 
and  even  outside  the  churches  you  see  them 
sometimes  waiting  for  their  masters.  I  like  the 
way  they  are  made  to  belong  to  the  family  and 
taken  out  as  a  matter  of  course;  only  some- 
times they  get  so  tired  and  look  so  bored  and 
unhappy,  though  no  doubt  they  would  rather 
go  than  be  left  at  home." 

"  I  like  those  magnificent  horses,"  said  Nan. 


Work  183 

"I  never  believed  there  were  horses  with  such 
noble  arched  necks,  except  in  pictures  or 
in  statuary.  They  are  the  biggest  things 
I  ever  saw,  such  great  massive  splendid  speci- 
mens." 

"They  come  from  the  north  of  Germany," 
Miss  Helen  told  her.  "They  are  used  for 
draught  horses,  and  you  always  see  them  har- 
nessed to  the  big  wagons.  The  oxen  here  are 
very  large,  too,  and  you  will  often  see  them 
hauling  a  load  of  bricks  or  stones  through  the 
streets." 

"  I  have  noticed  a  rather  curious  thing,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Corner.  "Sometimes  you  will 
see  a  wagon  with  a  horse  harnessed  to  one  side 
the  pole  and  not  in  shafts  ;  it  has  a  most  curious 
effect,  a  very  one-sided  look." 

"  I  saw  something  funnier  than  that,"  said 
Jack :  "  a  man  and  a  dog  pulling  a  cart  piled 
up  with  all  sorts  of  stuff,  old  chairs  and  bits  of 
stovepipe  and  things  like  that.  The  dog  was 
pulling  just  as  hard  as  the  man  and  when  the 
man  stopped  the  dog  lay  down  and  seemed  so 
pleased  to  think  he  had  been  helping.  I  liked 
that  dog  earning  his  living.  I  hope  he  gets 
well  paid  for  it  in  nice  food  with  plenty  of  bones 
to  gnaw." 

Here  Jean  heaved  a  long  sigh  having  eaten 
the  last  morsel  of  her  cake.  "  It  was  so 


184  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

good,"  she  said.  "  May  I  have  another  piece, 
mother  ?  " 

"  My  dear  child,  I  think  one  slice  of  that  rich 
Prinz-Regenten  cake  is  quite  enough  for  one 
afternoon.  Another  time,  but  not  now,"  and 
Jean  mournfully  accepted  the  decree. 

"  Speaking  of  Prinz-Regenten,"  said  Miss 
Helen,  "  I  am  sorry  we  had  to  miss  the  Wagner 
Festival  at  the  Prinz-Regenten  Theatre,  but  we 
had  to  give  that  up  or  the  trip  to  England." 

"  I  really  don't  think  we  have  been  unwise  in 
taking  England  instead,"  said  Mrs.  Corner, 
"  for  we  shall  be  here  long  enough  to  enjoy  all 
the  opera  necessary.  The  prices  at  the  Festival 
are  so  very  high,  five  dollars  for  a  single  per- 
formance, and  I  am  told  it  is  chiefly  tourists 
who  patronize  the  opera  then.  Sensible  peo- 
ple wait  till  they  can  hear  the  same  singers 
later  on  at  a  lower  price." 

"Nan  is  wild  to  hear  Herr  Knote,"  said  Jo. 
"  She  already  has  ten  post-card  pictures  of 
him  and  is  always  on  the  lookout  for  more." 

"  Of  course,"  returned  Nan.  "  He  is  the 
greatest  German  tenor,  and  why  shouldn't  I 
want  to  hear  him ;  besides  he  isn't  like  some  of 
the  others,  for  everybody  in  Munich  respects 
him  and  that  speaks  well,  for  he  lives  here." 

"  How  do  you  know  so  much  ? "  asked  her 
mother. 


Work  185 

"  My  music  teacher  told  me." 
"  So  that  is  what  you  talk  about." 
"  It  is  one  of  the  things.     I  am  supposed  to 
get  history  of  music  as  well  as  the  theory  and 
practice,  and  he  belongs  to  the  history,  I  am 
sure." 

"  Without  doubt,"  her  aunt  assured  her,  rising 
to  go.  "  Well,  Nan,  I  hope  you  will  not  be  dis- 
appointed when  you  hear  him." 

"  I  know  I  shall  not  be,"  said  Nan  with  con- 
viction. "  Frau  Burg-Schmidt  says  his  voice  is 
simply  great." 

They  wandered  out  into  the  street  and  across 
the  fine  Maximilianplatz  to  their  hotel,  feeling 
that  they  had  chosen  well  in  settling  in  Munich 
for  six  months. 


CHAPTER  X 
A  NIGHT  ADVENTURE 


CHAPTER  X 

A  NIGHT  ADVENTURE 

NAN  was  going  to  the  Grand  Opera  for  the 
first  time  in  her  life  and  she  was  in  a  state  of 
wild  excitement  over  it.  As  yet  the  Corners 
had  not  learned  the  mysterious  workings  at- 
tending ticket  buying  in  Munich,  and  it  seemed 
to  them  the  most  difficult  of  undertakings. 

"  From  all  I  can  learn,"  said  Miss  Helen, 
"  there  are  three  places  in  which  you  can  buy 
tickets.  The  programme  is  generally  an- 
nounced at  the  end  of  each  week  for  the  fol- 
lowing week,  and  the  tickets  are  for  sale  on 
Sunday  morning.  You  can  rise  before  six 
o'clock  and  go  stand  in  line  till  nine,  when  the 
office  of  the  Hof-theatre  is  open.  If  you  are 
lucky  you  may  not  have  to  stand  more  than  an 
hour  after  that,  and  if  it  is  not  a  subscription 
performance,  or  as  they  call  it,  an  abonnement, 
you  may  get  a  good  place  for  a  small  sum. 
Missing  your  chance  at  the  Hof-theatre,  you 
can  rush  off  to  the  old  Academia  to  take  the 
same  chances.  If  the  Academia  fails  you  there 
is  still  the  Kiosk  in  the  Maximilianplatz.  The 


190  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

trouble  is,  however,  that  you  seldom  know  until 
the  day  of  the  performance  who  is  going  to 
sing." 

"  It  seems  to  me  a  most  unsatisfactory  ar- 
rangement," returned  Mrs.  Corner.  "  I  could 
never  stand  in  line  for  hours,  Helen,  and  surely 
you  should  not  and  we  cannot  let  either  of  the 
girls  do  it." 

"  Perhaps  we  shall  find  an  easier  way  after  a 
while,"  Miss  Helen  replied.  "  When  we  get  to 
the  pension  no  doubt  we  shall  learn  the  ropes 
from  Fraulein  Bauer.  We  will  wait  till  then. 
I  have  heard  that  sometimes  when  the  Ring  is 
to  be  given,  the  students  take  their  blankets 
and  camp  out  by  eight  of  the  evening  before 
the  tickets  are  to  be  sold.  A  friend  told  me 
that  one  student  hired  a  Dienstmann  to  stand 
in  line  for  him,  paying  him  six  marks,  and  by 
the  time  his  turn  came  in  the  morning  all  the 
tickets  had  been  sold,  though  I  believe  that  was 
for  a  subscription  night." 

To  hear  all  this  was  a  disappointment  to  Nan 
who  had  hoped  that  opera  would  be  one  of  the 
first  pleasures  she  should  have,  and  she  resolved 
that  as  soon  as  they  were  settled  in  their  pen- 
sion she  would  interview  Fraulein  Bauer  on  her 
own  account  and  see  if  there  were  really  as 
many  difficulties  as  reported,  or  if  it  was  merely 
a  matter  of  knowing  how. 


A  Night  Adventure  191 

It  was,  however,  upon  the  very  day  that  they 
arrived  bag  and  baggage  at  Fraulein  Bauer's 
that  Nan  came  home  from  her  music  lesson  in 
a  turmoil  of  excitement.  "  Frau  Burg-Schmidt 
wants  me  to  go  to  the  opera  with  her  to  hear 
Lohengrin,"  she  cried.  "She  says  I  should 
hear  Lohengrin  the  first  of  the  Wagner  operas. 
Lohengrin  and  Knote  of  all  things  !  Oh, 
mother,  say  I  can  go.  Quick,  please,  please." 

"  My  dear,  don't  get  so  excited.  I  don't  see 
why  you  shouldn't  go.  I  suppose  Frau  Burg- 
Schmidt  will  bring  you  home." 

"  Of  course.  At  least  she  said  we  could  take 
the  car  from  the  Hof-theatre  right  to  our  near- 
est corner.  I  am  to  telephone  if  I  can  go  and 
she  will  meet  me  in  front  of  the  theatre,  or  if  I 
miss  her  there  I  have  the  number  of  the  seat 
and  she  will  wait  in  the  corridor  by  the  gar- 
derobe  place  nearest.  It  is  dritte  Rang^  Loge  II 
Vorderplats  I  and  2." 

"  It  is  all  Dutch  to  me,"  said  Mrs.  Corner 
smiling.  "  But,  Nan,  you  must  not  go  out 
alone  after  night  even  to  meet  her." 

"  But  it  won't  be  after  night.  It  begins  at 
six  o'clock  when  it  is  broad  daylight  or  nearly 
so." 

"Six  o'clock?" 

"  Yes,  all  the  operas  begin  at  six  or  seven 
and  sometimes  the  very  long  ones  begin  as 


192  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

early  as  four  or  five.  I  shall  be  home  early, 
you  will  see." 

"  What  a  queer  idea,  and  when  shall  you  get 
your  supper  ? " 

"  I'll  take  a  bite  before  I  go  and  nibble  some- 
thing after  I  get  back.  You  can  save  me  a 
brodchin  from  supper,  mother,  and  a  bit  of  ham 
or  sausage ;  that  will  be  enough." 

"  It  certainly  is  a  peculiar  arrangement,  to 
have  next  to  nothing  before  one  starts  out  and 
probably  be  so  hungry  that  there  must  be  a 
hearty  meal  just  before  going  to  bed." 

"  But  I  may  go  ?  It  is  such  a  chance,  for 
Frau  Burg-Schmidt  will  explain  the  motifs  to 
me,  and  tell  me  when  to  look  for  them.  She 
just  happened  to  have  the  ticket  because  her 
husband  was  called  away  on  business." 

"  You  may  go,  since  it  seems  an  unusual  op- 
portunity which  I  couldn't  deprive  you  of." 

"  Then  I  will  go  telephone." 

"You'd  better  get  Fraulein  Bauer  to  do  it  for 
you." 

"  All  right." 

Nan  was  not  long  in  concluding  her  arrange- 
ments and  next  turned  her  attention  to  her 
dress.  "  I  suppose  I  ought  to  wear  something 
rather  nice,"  she  said  to  her  mother. 

"Yes,  I  think  you  should.  One  of  your 
prettiest  white  frocks  will  do." 


A  Night  Adventure  193 

"  And  my  white  coat  and  gloves." 

"  Yes,  the  coat  will  be  warm  enough,  I  am 
sure." 

"  I  don't  suppose  I  ought  to  wear  a  hat." 
Nan  was  doubtful. 

"  Probably  not.  You  can  put  your  pink 
Liberty  scarf  over  your  head  and  you  may  take 
my  opera  glasses." 

Nan  felt  very  grand  indeed  when  she  was 
ready  to  start  out,  opera  bag  on  arm  and  spot- 
less gloves  on  her  hands.  At  the  last  moment 
her  mother  demurred  in  the  matter  of  going 
without  a  hat  on  the  street.  "  I  think  you  would 
better  wear  one,"  she  decided,  "  and  you  can 
leave  it  at  the  wardrobe  with  your  coat  if  neces- 
sary, for  it  does  look  queer  to  see  you  going 
forth  without  a  hat  while  it  is  yet  light."  So 
Nan  laid  aside  the  scarf  and  put  on  a  light  hat. 

"  I  think  myself  that  I  feel  more  comfortable 
this  way,"  she  said.  "  I  will  keep  my  eyes  open 
and  see  what  other  persons  do,  so  as  to  know 
the  next  time." 

"  You  have  money  with  you  ?  In  case  it 
rains  you  must  come  home  in  a  cab  and  send 
Frau  Burg-Schmidt  in  it  after  you  have  been 
dropped  at  your  own  door.  Be  sure  to  pay 
the  cocker  for  both  courses  and  give  him  a  tip, 
so  Frau  Burg-Schmidt  will  be  at  no  expense  on 
your  account." 


194  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Yes,  mother." 

"  And  you  know  the  way  perfectly  ?  Per- 
haps you  would  better  go  in  a  cab  anyhow  to 
make  sure.  I  don't  feel  quite  comfortable  to 
see  you  start  out  alone." 

"  Oh,  no,  mother,  I'd  much  rather  walk  ;  it  is 
really  no  distance  at  all  and  Frau  Burg-Schmidt 
says  lots  of  girls  go  alone  and  that  it  is  perfectly 
safe.  Munich  isn't  like  Paris." 

"  Then  have  a  good  time,  dearie.  Good- 
bye." 

Nan  put  up  her  mouth  for  a  kiss  and  started 
off,  her  mother  watching  her  from  the  window 
and  feeling  a  little  uneasy  still.  Miss  Helen 
was  out  and  so  were  the  other  girls.  "  Perhaps 
I  should  have  gone  with  her,"  said  Mrs.  Corner 
to  herself,  "  for  even  though  I  am  tired  we  could 
have  taken  a  cab,  but  it  was  all  so  unexpected 
and  Nan  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  get  off  I  didn't 
think  of  it.  I  hope  she  is  all  right." 

When  Miss  Helen  returned  she  assured  her 
sister  that  she  need  have  no  fears  for  Nan. 
"  She  will  find  her  way  without  difficulty,  I  am 
sure,"  she  said,  "and  even  if  the  Frau  isn't 
there  she  knows  enough  German  to  inquire  her 
way  to  the  seats.  I  have  seen  numbers  of  girls 
going  about  alone  and  Nan  knows  perfectly 
well  how  to  take  care  of  herself." 

Indeed  Nan  had  no  difficulty  at  all  in  reach- 


A  Night  Adventure  195 

ing  the  Hof-theatre,  nor  in  distinguishing  the 
plainly  dressed  figure  standing  at  the  foot  of 
the  steps  waiting  for  her.  She  trembled  with 
excitement  at  the  sound  of  the  first  note  of  the 
orchestra,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  time 
was  utterly  lost  in  the  fortunes  of  Lohengrin 
and  Elsa,  in  the  wonderful  music,  and  between 
acts  in  the  strange  surroundings.  It  pleased 
Frau  Burg-Schmidt  to  see  the  intent  look  on 
the  girl's  face,  and  the  tensely  clasped  hands. 
"  She  has  temperament,"  she  told  herself,  as 
Nan's  old  teacher  at  home  had  said  before. 

"  Oh,  it  is  over,"  sighed  the  girl  when  the 
curtain  went  down  after  the  last  act.  "  It  was 
so  short." 

Frau  Burg-Schmidt  laughed.  "  Not  so 
short;  it  has  been  several  hours." 

"  So  long  as  that  ?  I  can  scarcely  believe 
it." 

"  And  it  is  not  quite  over,  for  see,  they  call 
out  the  singers  over  and  over  again." 

Nan  watched  with  pleased  smiles  while  from 
the  galleries  came  continued  applause,  tem- 
pestuous clappings  of  hands  with  cries  for 
"  Knote  !  Knote  !  Knote  !  Bravo  !  Bravo  !  " 

"  It  is  an  enthusiastic  audience.  These 
Miincheners  do  always  so,"  said  Nan's  com- 
panion. "  We  do  not  fear  to  applaud  when  we 
like  a  thing." 


196  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

At  last  the  outer  curtain  was  dropped,  but 
even  then  the  calls  and  clappings  went  on,  but 
that  was  the  last  of  it  for  the  tenor  would  not 
appear  again. 

Nan  went  home  in  a  dream.  She  followed 
Frau  Burg-Schmidt  mechanically  into  the  car, 
and  sat  down,  her  vision  still  filled  with  the 
picture  of  Lohengrin  disappearing  from  view 
in  his  swan  boat.  She  scarcely  heard  when 
Frau  Burg-Schmidt  said  good-night  to  her. 

"  Here  is  your  corner,  my  dear,"  she  told  her. 
"  You  are  but  a  few  steps  from  your  door  and 
you  have  your  key,  so  I  will  not  wait  for  I  must 
change  here  and  my  car  comes." 

Nan  had  but  a  few  steps  to  go  before  she 
stood  in  front  of  the  great  door  of  the  building 
in  which  was  her  pension.  She  felt  in  her  bag 
for  her  key.  Fraulein  Bauer  had  said  there 
would  be  a  light  burning  and  a  candle  set  for 
her.  She  fumbled  around  for  some  minutes  but 
could  not  find  her  keys.  She  tried  the  handle 
of  the  door;  it  would  not  turn.  In  Munich 
evidently  everything  was  closed  up  early.  She 
stood  wondering  whether  she  should  ring  the 
Hausmann's  bell  or  the  one  of  the  pension  when 
some  one  passing  saw  the  white  figure  standing 
there  and  halted,  then  passed  on,  but  presently 
returned.  Nan  shrank  into  the  shadow  of  the 
big  door.  Suppose  the  young  man  should 


A  Night  Adventure  197 

speak  to  her,  for  a  young  man  she  could  see 
it  was  from  the  single  swift  glance  she  gave. 
What  could  he  think  of  a  girl  alone  in  the  street 
after  ten  o'clock  ? 

Suddenly  the  Lohengrin  vision  faded  and  she 
was  only  Nan  Corner  in  a  strange  city  in  a 
foreign  land  trying  to  get  into  her  boarding- 
house.  She  pressed  the  electric  button  under 
the  name  of  the  pension,  and  again  began  to 
search  in  her  bag  for  the  keys,  turning  toward 
the  light  as  she  did  so,  the  better  to  see. 

The  young  man  who  was  standing  a  few 
paces  off  suddenly  came  forward.  "  Nan,  Nan 
Corner,"  he  exclaimed.  "  What  are  you  doing 
wandering  about  Munich  alone  ?  " 

A  friendly  voice  and  a  solicitous  one.  Nan 
looked  up.  "  Dr.  Paul,"  she  cried,  "  of  all  peo- 
ple. Oh,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you."  She  ex- 
plained the  situation,  ending  with :  "  I  know 
the  keys  must  be  somewhere,  but  they  are  not 
in  my  bag."  Again  she  searched  nervously. 

"  Let  me  hold  your  bag,"  said  Dr.  Paul. 
"And  you  look  in  your  pocket,  if  you  have 
any." 

Nan  gave  a  little  laugh,  and  put  her  hand  in 
her  coat  pocket  but  the  keys  were  not  there. 
Suddenly  her  hand  went  up  to  the  chain  around 
her  neck  and  then  down  to  her  belt.  "  I  re- 
member," she  said,  a  little  abashed,  "  I  took 


198  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

the  keys  from  the  bag  and  put  them  on  the 
chain  so  as  to  be  sure  not  to  lose  them,  and  I 
was  so  perfectly  carried  away  by  the  music  I 
forgot  I  had  done  it.  Here  they  are,  Dr.  Paul. 
I  am  glad  I  didn't  ring  again  for  evidently  the 
maids  weren't  roused  by  the  first  ring." 

Dr.  Paul  turned  the  key  in  the  lock  and  they 
stepped  inside,  the  great  door  closing  with  a 
clang  after  them.  All  was  dark  and  silent. 

"  Goodness  !  "  cried  Nan,  "  and  they  said  they 
would  have  a  light  •  for  me.  Imagine  coming 
home  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  anywhere  in 
America  and  finding  it  like  this." 

"  They  certainly  drive  their  thrift  beyond  the 
point  of  necessity,  it  seems  to  me.  I  have  some 
matches  in  my  pocket ;  I  will  strike  a  light  and 
we  will  look  for  the  stairs." 

"  We  only  came  to  the  pension  to-day  and 
that  is  why  I  don't  remember  exactly  in  the 
dark,"  said  Nan.  "  How  long  have  you  been 
here,  Dr.  Paul  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  town  yesterday.  My  pension  is  a 
block  further  on.  I  am  with  a  German  family 
whom  some  friends  recommended  to  me,  and  I 
think  I  shall  be  very  comfortable.  They  speak 
North  German,  which  is  an  advantage.  I  was 
going  to  look  you  all  up  to-morrow.  Your 
Aunt  Sarah  told  me  I  should  probably  find  you 
here." 


A  Night  Adventure  199 

41  And  shall  you  stay  long?  " 

"  Several  months.  I  am  here  for  some  special 
courses,  and  for  hospital  work." 

"  Then  we  shall  see  you  often." 

"You  can  count  on  that.  Here  are  the 
stairs  and  I  see  a  glimmer  of  light  on  the  next 
floor.  We'll  follow  it  up  and  probably  will  find 
your  candle." 

They  stumbled  up  the  winding  stairs  which 
grew  lighter  as  they  mounted.  At  the  top  they 
found  a  night  lamp  on  a  table  and  a  row  of 
candles  set  in  line.  Each  candlestick  bore  a 
slip  of  paper.  The  pair  examined  these 
gravely.  " Zimmer  ten,  Pension  Bauer"  read 
Nan.  "  I  suppose  that  must  be  mine.  Ours 
is  the  next  flight  up.  We  are  on  the  second 
floor,  or  what  they  call  second  over  here ;  we 
would  say  third." 

"  I'll  go  up  with  you  to  keep  off  the  buga- 
boos," said  the  doctor  taking  the  lighted  candle 
from  her  hand  and  following  her  up. 

At  the  head  of  the  stairs  Nan  turned.  "  How 
will  you  get  out?  "  she  asked.  "  I  am  sure  the 
front  door  shut  with  a  spring  lock.  I  will  go 
back  with  you." 

"  Then  I'll  have  to  see  you  to  your  door 
again." 

"And  we  might  keep  that  up  indefinitely." 
They  both  laughed  softly. 


200  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Give  me  your  key,"  said  the  doctor,  "  and 
I'll  let  myself  out.  I  will  bring  it  to  you  in  the 
morning.  You  will  not  want  it  till  then  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed,  but  I  hate  to  think  of  your  going 
down  in  the  dark." 

"  Do  you  think  I'm  afraid  of  the  dark,  Nan 
Corner  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not,  but " 

"You  are,  I  verily  believe." 

"  Not  exactly,  only  it  would  have  been  sort  of 
boogy  and  spooky  if  I  had  to  come  through 
that  court  and  up  that  first  flight  by  myself." 

"  And  it  would  not  have  been  the  proper 
thing  for  you  to  do." 

"  Nobody  ever  imagined  that  in  this  age  such 
a  necessity  would  arise.  We  will  all  petition 
for  a  light  at  the  very  entrance.  I  know  mother 
and  Aunt  Helen  will  be  horrified  at  this  outer 
darkness.  I  was  so  thankful  to  see  you,  though 
at  first " 

"  Own  up  you  were  scared." 

"  Yes,  I  was,  and  with  good  reason.  I  saw 
you  stop  and  I  tried  to  climb  in  through  the 
keyhole  or  the  crack  of  the  door,  but  couldn't. 
Oh,  but  I  was  thankful  it  was  you,  and  I  re- 
member it  isn't  the  first  time  you've  proved  a 
friend  in  need.  I  don't  forget  last  year.  Be 
sure  to  come  early  to-morrow.  I  am  wild  to 
hear  all  about  Aunt  Sarah  and  the  boys,  not  to 


A  Night  Adventure  201 

mention  all  the  other  dear  people  at  home. 
Good-night.  Won't  you  take  my  candle,  even 
if  you  don't  the  candlestick  ?  " 

"  No,  I  would  dribble  the  grease  all  over  my- 
self. Good-night  and  thanks  for  the  key." 

Nan  stood  holding  the  candle  over  the 
baluster  until  the  last  footfall  had  ceased  and 
then  she  unlocked  the  door  which  led  into 
Fraulein  Bauer's  apartment.  She  found  her 
mother  and  her  Aunt  Helen  waiting  for  her.  A 
tray  on  the  table  held  rolls  and  butter,  some 
slices  of  cold  ham,  a  glass  of  milk  and  a  com- 
pote of  apples.  "  I  am  so  glad  you  waited  up 
for  me,"  said  the  girl  as  she  came  in. 

" It  isn't  very  late,"  said  her  aunt,  "so  it  is 
nothing  of  a  favor." 

"  I  know  it  isn't,  but  it  seems  as  if  I  had  been 
away  days." 

"  Has  it  been  as  great  as  all  that?"  asked  her 
mother.  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you  back  safe  and 
sound.  Fraulein  Bauer  said  she  would  have  a 
candle  below  for  you,  so  I  knew  you  would  find 
your  way  in." 

"  Yes,  but  it  is  as  dark  as  pitch  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  it  isn't  like  it  is  in  Paris  where  the 
concierge  is  right  at  hand  to  let  you  in  if  neces- 
sary. I  suppose  there  is  a  Hausmann,  but 
there  are  no  signs  of  his  having  rooms  anywhere 
about" 


2O2  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  And  you  say  there  is  no  light  at  the  en- 
trance?" 

"  Not  a  glimmer  ;  it  is  as  black  as  a  wolf's 
mouth." 

"  That  will  never  do,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  de- 
cidedly. "We  can  never  in  the  world  stay 
here  under  such  conditions.  Suppose  we 
have  callers  in  the  evening,  what  is  to  be 
done?" 

"  Give  it  up,"  returned  Nan. 

"  And  for  ourselves,  a  party  of  ladies  coming 
in  after  dark  to  be  obliged  to  enter  a  dark  court 
and  come  up  as  dark  a  stairway  is  not  to  be 
thought  of.  That  must  be  remedied  at  once. 
I  shall  see  to  it  to-morrow." 

"  So  the  opera  was  great,  was  it,  Nan  ?  "  said 
her  aunt. 

"  I  should  think  it  was.  I  will  tell  you  all 
about  it  presently.  At  first  I  didn't  believe  I 
could  ever  think  of  anything  else  for  days,  but 
I  had  an  adventure  and " 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Nan  ? "  asked  her 
mother  in  alarm. 

Then  Nan  told  about  the  missing  key,  the 
meeting  with  Dr.  Paul  Woods  and  the  journey 
up-stairs.  "  I  was  scared  to  death  at  first,"  she 
admitted. 

"  I  was  right  in  my  misgivings  about  letting 
you  go  off  alone,"  said  her  mother.  "  I  cannot 


A  Night  Adventure  203 

understand  how  Frau  Burg-Schmidt  should  have 
left  you  to  come  in  by  yourself." 

"  She  didn't  think  anything  of  it,  for  there 
were  ever  so  many  girls  coming  home  by  them- 
selves. Frau  Burg-Schmidt  did  get  out  with  me, 
of  course,  and  would  have  come  all  the  way, 
but  she  had  to  change  cars  and  her  car  hap- 
pened to  come  along  right  away,  so  as  she 
knew  I  had  a  key  and  that  I  was  but  a  few  steps 
from  the  door  she  left  me.  If  I  hadn't  been  so 
stupid  as  to  forget  about  changing  the  keys 
from  the  bag  to  the  chain  it  would  have  been 
all  right.  No,  it  wouldn't  have  been  quite  all 
right,  for  I  should  have  had  to  grope  my  way 
up  that  dark  stairway  alone.  Oh,  but  I  was 
glad  to  see  Dr.  Paul.  He  always  was  a 
dear.  Wasn't  it  strange  that  it  should  happen 
to  be  he  who  came  along  at  just  the  right 
moment  ?  " 

"  It  certainly  was  most  fortunate,"  acknowl- 
edged her  mother.  "  Is  he  to  be  here  for  any 
length  of  time  ?  " 

"  Oh,  my  yes.  He  is  going  to  do  some 
studying  and  we  shall  see  him  often.  Now  I  will 
tell  you  about  the  opera.  It  was  heavenly,  and 
the  stage  setting  was  perfectly  fine.  I  shall 
never  forget  that  beautiful  blue  and  silver 
Lohengrin  and  I  was  so  mad  with  Elsa  for 
doubting  him,  yet  I  was  sorry  for  her,  too,  be- 


204  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

cause  it  was  all  that  wicked  Ortrud's  fault. 
The  music  was  divine.  Such  an  orchestra !  and 
Knote  sang  like  an  angel ;  you  never  heard  a 
more  beautiful  voice,  and  oh,  mother,  it  was  so 
perfectly  fine  to  have  Frau  Burg-Schmidt  ex- 
plain the  different  motives  to  me  and  tell  me 
when  they  came  in.  You  have  no  idea  how 
much  more  interesting  it  made  it  She  is  go- 
ing over  the  score  with  me  and  wants  me  to 
learn  to  distinguish  for  myself.  I  think  I  can 
pick  out  several  already.  She  is  so  enthusiastic 
and  rouses  your  ambition  so  you  want  to  do 
your  very  best." 

"  But  I  cannot  excuse  her  leaving  you  in  the 
street  like  that,  and  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  allow 
you  to  go  out  with  her,  if  there  is  a  chance  of 
such  a  thing  occurring  again." 

"Oh,  mother,  please  don't  say  that,  and 
please  don't  say  anything  to  her  about  it,  for  I 
think  she  is  very  sensitive  and  high-strung,  and 
it  really  was  my  fault  for  being  so  stupid  as  to 
forget  where  I  put  the  keys." 

"  That  may  have  been  a  part  of  the  trouble, 
but  a  woman  of  Frau  Burg-Schmidt's  experi- 
ence should  know  better  than  to  desert  a  young 
girl  like  you  at  this  time  of  night  in  a  foreign 
city."  Then  seeing  Nan's  look  of  distress,  she 
added,  "  However,  we  will  not  talk  any  more 
about  it  now,  but  provide  against  such  a 


A  Night  Adventure  205 

contingency  next  time.  Did  you  have  good 
places  ?  " 

"  Very  good ;  that  is,  it  was  a  fine  place  for 
hearing  the  music,  and  all  the  musical  people 
prefer  it  to  the  parquet  or  the  balcony  where 
the  seats  are  much  higher  priced.  And,  mother, 
I  might  have  gone  in  my  school  dress  for  all 
it  mattered.  People  wear  anything ;  flannel 
blouses,  queer  reform  frocks  which  look  per- 
fectly dreadful  on  the  fat  women — all  sorts  of 
funny  rigs  are  worn.  They  sit  around  and 
munch  chocolate  or  take  rolls  from  their  bags 
and  nibble  those  between  the  acts  or  eat 
pretzels.  It  is  the  most  free  and  easy  place  I 
ever  saw.  For  all  that,  there  was  perfect  order, 
not  a  whisper  while  the  music  was  going  on. 
Of  course  the  lights  are  turned  down  during 
the  performance  and  are  only  turned  up  when 
the  curtain  drops.  Every  one  was  so  absorbed 
and  didn't  dream  of  talking  or  looking  bored 
as  I  have  seen  them  do  at  home  at  plays." 

"  I  must  confess  there  is  that  advantage  on 
the  part  of  a  German  audience,"  remarked 
Miss  Helen.  "  They  go  for  the  pure  purpose 
of  hearing  the  music,  not  to  show  their  clothes 
nor  to  chatter  with  their  friends  nor  because  it  is 
fashionable,  and  I  think  we  may  well  take 
pattern  from  them  in  our  big  cities." 

"  And  the  enthusiasm,"  Nan  went  on ;    "  it 


206  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

made  me  wild  to  hear  them  call  and  call  for 
Knote  and  for  Morena.  Oh,  I  did  enjoy  it.  I 
shall  never  forget  this  night." 

"  But  you  are  forgetting  to  eat  anything," 
said  her  mother. 

"  I'll  drink  the  milk,  but  I  really  don't  feel 
hungry,  for  I  am  too  excited ;  besides  Frau 
Burg-Schmidt  had  some  chocolate  with  her  and 
I  ate  a  piece  of  that.  I  must  go  to  bed,  for 
Dr.  Paul  is  coming  early  to  see  us  and  to  re- 
turn the  key.  I  have  had  such  a  glorious  time, 
mother  dear,  so  please  forget  the  adventure 
part  of  it." 

"  Don't  lie  awake  thinking  about  Lohengrin," 
said  her  mother  kissing  her  good-night. 

"  I'll  try  not." 

"I  hope  it  hasn't  been  too  much  for  that  ex- 
citable brain  of  hers,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  as  Nan 
went  out. 

"  Nan  will  always  be  intense,"  replied  Miss 
Helen.  "  We  can't  deprive  her  of  such  joy  as 
she  finds  in  music  because  of  that." 

"  No,  but  she  does  enjoy  things  with  such  a 
vengeance." 

"  And  suffers  in  proportion.  That  is  the  way 
she  is  built,  Mary." 

"  Like  her  father,  very  like." 

"  Dear  Jack.     Yes,  she  is  like  him." 

The  two  sat  lost  in  thought  for  a  while.     Pres- 


A  Night  Adventure  207 

ently  Miss  Helen  spoke.  "  How  old  is  this 
Dr.  Paul  Woods?"  she  asked.  "I  have  al- 
most forgotten.  He  was  away  at  college  while 
we  were  at  Uplands." 

"He  is  not  more  than  twenty-three  or  four. 
A  very  bright  young  man  and  a  fine  one.  I've 
known  him  since  he  was  born.  His  father  has 
always  been  our  family  physician,  you  know, 
Helen,  and  Mrs.  Woods  is  one  of  my  dearest 
friends." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  that.  Mother  always  pre- 
ferred Dr.  Harley,  so  I  never  saw  much  of  the 
Woods,"  said  Miss  Helen  folding  up  her  news- 
paper and  rising.  "  It  is  bedtime,  Mary." 

"I  know.  I  am  going."  But  Mrs.  Corner 
sat  for  another  half  hour,  her  book  unnoticed 
before  her. 


CHAPTER  XI 
SETTLING  DOWN 


CHAPTER  XI 

SETTLING  DOWN 

THE  problem  of  getting  opera  tickets  was 
solved  the  next  day  when  Dr.  Woods  made  his 
visit.  "  I  have  promised  myself  to  stand  in  line 
every  week,"  he  said,  "  and  if  you  will  commit 
the  buying  of  the  tickets  to  my  charge  I  promise 
to  do  my  best  for  you.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  buy 
four  or  five  tickets  as  one.  I  shall  probably  not 
treat  myself  to  anything  more  expensive  than 
places  in  the  Dritte  Rang,  but  I  can  get  yours 
anywhere  you  say,  provided  there  is  a  chance 
of  doing  it." 

"  That  relieves  us  of  a  great  responsibility," 
said  Miss  Helen,  "  though  it  seems  rather  an 
imposition  upon  you." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  I  should  be  very  unhappy 
to  know  that  any  of  you  ladies  were  on  your 
feet  out  there  in  the  cold  when  there  was  a  man 
around  to  do  the  standing  for  you." 

"  Spoken  like  a  true  American  and  a  Virginia 
gentleman  at  that,"  said  Miss  Helen.  "  Nan 
proposed  to  be  our  opera  ticket  buyer,  as  she  is 
the  most  interested,  but  her  mother  objected." 


212  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

The  doctor  gave  a  quick  glance  at  the  slender 
dark-haired  girl,  almost  too  tall  for  her  years. 
"  As  her  medical  man  I  sternly  forbid  it,  too," 
he  said.  "  It  is  not  the  thing  for  any  delicately 
bred  woman  to  do.  Some  of  these  sturdy 
Germans  may  be  equal  to  it,  but  none  of  your 
race.  No,  Miss  Helen,  I  insist  upon  your  let- 
ting that  duty  fall  upon  me." 

"  Then  please  accept  our  united  thanks.  We 
do  want  Nan  to  have  as  much  opera  as  is  good 
for  her,  but  we  don't  feel  that  we  always  shall 
want  to  pay  for  the  highest  priced  seats,  if  we 
can  get  any  at  all  at  lower  rates." 

"  I  shall  frequently  make  a  rush  for  Stehplatz," 
declared  the  doctor,  "  for  I  am  putting  all  my 
spare  cash  into  my  work  and  my  amusements 
must  be  of  the  cheap  kind.  However,  there 
couldn't  be  a  better  place  to  find  such.  One 
can  listen  to  a  first-class  concert  for  the  meagre 
price  of  fifteen  or  twenty  cents,  if  you  don't 
mind  going  to  a  concert  hall  where  people  sit 
around  little  tables  and  drink  beer.  It  is  al- 
ways most  quiet  and  orderly  and  you  see  a  good 
class  of  persons  at  such  places,  for  they  want  to 
hear  the  music  and  do  not  want  the  least  noise." 

"  Every  one  in  Munich  drinks  beer,"  remarked 
Nan.  "  Even  the  Miinchen  kindel  is  often  pic- 
tured with  a  glass  of  beer  in  one  hand  and  a 
bunch  of  radishes  in  the  other," 


Settling  Down  213 

"Who  is  the  Munchen  kindel?"  asked  the 
doctor. 

"  Have  you  been  in  the  city  twenty-four 
hours  and  have  not  made  its  acquaintance? 
Why,  it  is  everywhere,  on  calendars,  cards, 
liqueur  glasses,  all  sorts  of  souvenirs,  bonbon 
boxes,  signs,  and  I  have  even  seen  the  little 
monkish  hood  and  cloak  imitated  in  a  covering 
for  my  lady's  pet  dog.  Here,"  she  picked  up  a 
guide-book  from  the  table  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"Oh,  that?  Yes,  I  have  seen  the  little  fel- 
low, but  I  didn't  know  what  it  meant  except 
that  it  seemed  a  sign  and  seal  of  something 
Miinchener.  Do  you  know  its  origin  ?  " 

"  I  know  something,  though  no  one  appears 
exactly  to  know  why  it  happens  to  be  a  child. 
You  probably  know  that  Munich  originally  be- 
longed to  the  monks  who  lived  in  a  monastery 
on  the;  Tegernsee.  Their  place  was  called 
Munchen.  There  are  a  number  of  stories  about 
how  the  little  kindel  happened  to  be  used,  but 
Aunt  Helen  says  it  was  probably  adopted  as  the 
seal  of  those  way  back  monks.  Some  one  told 
me  that  there  is  a  legend  which  says  our  Lord 
came  in  the  form  of  a  little  child  in  monkish 
dress  to  bless  the  town  and  the  good  work  of 
the  monks,  and  that  ever  since  the  Munchen 
kindel  has  been  honored.  Others  say  that  it  is 
simply  because  as  time  has  gone  on  different 


214  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

artists  and  sculptors  have  tried  to  improve  on 
the  original  design  and  it  has  become  what  it  is 
now.  I  like  the  legend  best  though  perhaps 
the  other  is  truer.  I  have  become  very  fond  of 
the  little  monk's  smiling  countenance.  Some- 
times he  has  a  book  in  one  hand  and  two  fingers 
of  the  other  are  outstretched  in  benediction,  but 
when  he  is  very  hilarious,  he  waves  a  stein  of 
beer  in  one  hand  and  a  bunch  of  radishes  in  the 
other." 

"  Wise  Nan,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Whenever 
I  want  archaic  information  about  the  city  I  shall 
come  to  you." 

"  Nan  may  be  able  to  tell  you  all  about  those 
funny  old  things,"  broke  in  Jack,  "  but  what  I 
want  to  hear  about,  Dr.  Paul,  is  home.  Did 
you  see  Phil  and  Gordon?  How  was  Aunt 
Sarah  when  you  left  ?  Is  Mitty  there  ?  Are  the 
cats  looking  all  right  ?  What  was  old  Pete 
mule  doing  when  you  saw  him  last  ?  " 

Every  one  laughed  and  then  every  one  turned 
eagerly  to  the  doctor,  for  what  did  not  Jack's 
questions  bring  before  them?  The  old  brown 
house,  with  the  garden  behind  it  wandering  up- 
hill, Aunt  Sarah  bustling  around,  Phil  with 
Trouble  at  his  heels  running  across  the  field  be- 
tween his  own  home  and  the  Corners',  Old  Pete 
standing  by  an  angle  of  the  fence,  wagging  his 
long  ears  as  he  looked  up  and  down  the  road. 


Settling  Down  215 

"  Do  tell  us  about  everything,"  said  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner drawing  her  chair  a  little  nearer. 

"  Miss  Sarah  was  very  well  and  getting  ready 
for  her  boys  who  hadn't  come  when  I  left,"  re- 
sponded the  doctor.  "  I  saw  a  pair  of  black 
legs  scudding  across  the  garden  and  I  fancy 
they  must  have  been  Mitty's.  As  for  Pete,  I  am 
afraid  I  don't  remember  about  him,  and  I  did 
not  see  any  of  the  cats.  Yes,  I  did ;  a  big  gray 
Angora  came  out  and  blinked  at  me  as  I  was 
saying  good-bye  to  Miss  Sarah." 

"  That  must  have  been  Lady  Grey,"  remarked 
Jack. 

"  The  Lewis's  are  all  well.  Miss  Polly  is  to  be 
married  at  Christmas,  as  I  suppose  you  all  know." 

"  Oh,  dear,  and  we  shan't  be  there,"  sighed 
Mary  Lee.  At  that  moment  the  glories  of  travel, 
the  novelties  of  foreign  lands  were  as  nothing 
compared  to  the  bond  which  linked  them  to  old 
Virginia. 

"  And  your  own  family  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Corner. 
"  Your  mother  and  father  ?" 

"  Mother  is  well  and  so  is  father,  better  than 
usual.  A  new  doctor  has  settled  in  town,  an 
enterprising  young  fellow  with  the  acquirements 
of  foreign  study  still  clinging  to  him.  Father 
said  that  if  I  meant  to  hold  my  own  in  the  town 
I  must  study  abroad,  too,  and  if  eventually  I 
concluded  to  step  aside  and  let  Hastings  have 


216  The  Four  Comers  Abroad 

the  field  I  would  need  some  work  over  here 
wherever  I  might  settle.  He  thinks  he  can 
keep  up  our  end  for  six  months  and  then  I  shall 
go  back  and  make  up  my  mind  whether  father 
shall  retire  in  my  behalf,  or  whether  he  will 
keep  a  few  of  his  oldest  patients  and  transfer  the 
rest  to  Dr.  Hastings." 

"  You  are  not  going  to  desert  us,  Dr.  Paul?" 
said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  I  am  not  sure.  At  all  events  we  shall  see 
when  I  get  back.  You  all  have  deserted  your 
old  neighbors,  why  shouldn't  I  follow  your  ex- 
ample ?  " 

"  But  not  for  always,"  said  Nan  eagerly. 
"We  shall  go  back  to  stay  some  day,  shan't  we, 
mother?" 

"  Are  you  sure  you  will  want  to,  Nan  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  would  like  to  feel  that  I  could 
come  away  sometimes,  but  there  is  no  place  like 
home.  I  want  to  live  most  of  my  life  there,  and 
I  surely  want  to  die  just  where  I  was  born." 

"  It  isn't  a  very  big  world,  that  little  town  of 
ours,"  said  Dr.  Paul  smiling  at  her  ardor. 

"  It  is  big  enough.  After  we  have  seen  the 
great  outside  world  it  will  be  the  most  delight- 
ful thing  to  go  back  and  think  about  it  all." 

"  And  your  music,  your  college  career  and  all 
that?"  said  Miss  Helen. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  will  give  as  much  pleas- 


Settling  Down  217 

ure  there,  the  music,  I  mean,  as  anywhere  ?  And 
I  am  sure  our  University  has  brains  enough  in 
it  to  keep  my  poor  supply  guessing.  Nobody 
need  rust  out  where  our  University  is."  Nan 
spoke  proudly. 

"  Good  for  you,  Nan ! "  cried  the  doctor. 
"  You  are  loyal  to  the  core.  That  is  the  way  to 
talk.  I  am  going  to  sit  down  this  very  night 
and  write  to  father  about  what  you  have  said. 
It  will  do  him  good  to  know  how  you  feel.  He 
thinks  a  lot  of  Miss  Nancy  Corner." 

"  Must  you  go  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Corner  as  he  rose 
to  take  his  leave. 

"  Yes,  I  must.  I  am  not  fairly  in  harness  yet, 
but  I  have  a  lot  to  do." 

"  You  will  come  in  and  see  us  often,  I  hope." 

"  Won't  I  ?  Mother  is  depending  on  it,  I  can 
tell  you.  The  fact  of  you  all  being  here  made 
it  easier  for  her  to  see  me  go.  And  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner, remember,  I  am  yours  to  command.  You 
must  not  fail  to  call  upon  me  for  anything  in  the 
wide  world  that  I  can  do  for  you,  just  as  you 
would  on  Tom  Lewis  or  any  of  the  boys  at  home. 
I  want  the  privilege  of  being  your  right  hand 
man,  as  I  am  the  only  one  of  your  townsmen 
here." 

"  You  are  a  dear  boy,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  lay- 
ing her  hand  affectionately  on  his  shoulder, 
"  and  I  shall  be  delighted  to  take  you  at  your 


218  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

word  whenever  occasion  requires  on  condition 
that  you  write  to  your  mother  that  I  say  she 
needn't  worry  over  her  son  while  Mary  Corner 
is  on  hand  to  have  an  eye  to  him." 

"I'll  do  it  and  it  will  be  no  end  of  comfort  to 
her.  She  expects  me  to  come  home  with  forty 
slashes  on  my  face  and  an  insatiable  thirst  for 
beer." 

"  Are  you  going  to  wear  a  green  or  a  blue  cap 
or  what  color  ?  "  asked  Jean. 

"  I'll  wear  my  own  American  headgear,  if  you 
please." 

"  And  you  won't  have  those  sword  cuts  all 
over  your  face  ?  "  said  Jack. 

"  Not  if  my  present  stock  of  vanity  holds  out. 
I  am  afraid  you  would  never  be  my  sweetheart 
if  I  allowed  myself  to  be  hacked  up  in  that  style, 
Jack." 

"  Oh,  but  I  shall  never  be  your  sweetheart," 
returned  Jack  calmly.  "  I  am  Carter's.  I  used 
to  be  Clarence's,  but  I  most  forget  him,  and  he 
doesn't  write  to  me,  but  Carter  does." 

"  I  see.  Well,  anyhow,  I  shall  not  submit  to 
having  my  noble  countenance  marred.  Now,  I 
must  go,  Mrs.  Corner.  It  is  so  good  to  see  you 
all  and  such  a  temptation  to  stand  and  talk. 
I'll  come  soon  again,  if  I  may." 

"  As  often  as  you  please.  I've  neither  music 
nor  German  to  absorb  me,  for  I  intend  to  spare 


Settling  Down  219 

myself  all  I  can,  so  when  the  others  are  busy 
you  will  find  at  least  one  at  leisure,"  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner assured  him  and  he  went  off  leaving  all  with 
a  feeling  of  nearness  to  home  which  his  presence 
had  given. 

A  new  arrival  at  the  pension  that  day  filled 
the  last  of  Fraulein  Bauer's  rooms,  and  decided 
who  was  to  complete  the  house  party.  A  pleas- 
ant American  woman  with  her  son  and  daugh- 
ter took  rooms  opposite  the  Corners.  The 
family  now  consisted  of  the  six  Corners  with  Jo 
Keyes,  Mrs.  Hoyt,  son  Maurice  and  daughter 
Juliet,  a  stout  Russian  lady  and  her  son,  "  the 
Herr  Professor/'  as  the  Fraulein  called  him,  a 
jovial  German,  and  a  severe  looking  dame  whose 
nationality  no  one  seemed  to  know.  Nan  in- 
sisted that  this  last  person  was  a  Nihilist,  while  Jo 
declared  she  was  an  American  refugee.  Mary 
Lee  thought  she  must  be  Italian,  because  she 
liked  macaroni  and  asked  for  more  olive  oil  on 
her  salad.  She  did  not  seem  to  be  very  fluent 
with  German,  though  no  one  had  heard  her  speak 
any  other  language.  She  sat  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  table,  and  bowed  with  great  stateliness 
to  the  others  whenever  she  came  in  or  went  out. 

It  was  Miss  Helen  who  at  last  discovered  the 
lady's  nationality,  and  announced  with  great 
glee  that  she  knew. 

"  I  am  positive  she  is  Russian  or  Polish  or 


22O  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

» 

something  like  that,"  declared  Nan.  "  I  am 
sure  she  has  a  bomb  concealed  in  her  room  and 
has  designs  upon  the  Prince  Regent." 

"  I  am  convinced  she  is  Italian,"  Mary  Lee 
differed  from  her  sister.  "  She  has  such  black 
eyes  and  hair,  and  I  saw  her  with  a  letter  in  her 
hand  that  had  an  Italian  stamp  on  it,  and  it  was 
addressed  to  Signorina  something  or  other." 

This  seemed  fairly  good  proof,  but  still  Miss 
Helen  shook  her  head. 

"  She  might  be  Spanish,"  ventured  Jo,  "  for, 
as  you  say,  Mary  Lee,  she  is  very  dark.  If  she 
were  Russian  why  doesn't  she  talk  to  the  other 
Russians  at  the  table  ?  " 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  that,"  said  Nan,  "though 
maybe  she  doesn't  want  them  to  know  she  is 
Russian  for  fear  they  will  find  out  her  plots." 

Miss  Helen  laughed  aloud.  "  You  are  away 
off,  Nan,"  she  said. 

"  Perhaps  she  is  a  Greek."  Jack  thought  up 
this. 

"  Or  a-a- Austrian,"  Jean  ventured. 

"Then  she'd  speak  better  German,"  objected 
Nan. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Mary  ? "  asked  Miss 
Helen.  "  No  one  so  far  has  guessed  right. 
You  must  have  a  chance." 

"  She  might  be  French,  perhaps  Canadian 
French." 


Settling  Down  221 

"  But  the  Italian  letter,"  spoke  up  Mary  Lee. 

"  1  had  one  from  Italy  myself  this  morning 
addressed  to  Signora  Corner,"  Mrs.  Corner  told 
her. 

"  Then  that  falls  through,"  said  Jo.  "  Give  it 
up,  Miss  Helen." 

"  My  dears,  she's  plain,  dyed-in-the-wool, 
United  States  American,  from  Chelsea,  Massa- 
chusetts." 

"  Oh,  oh,"  came  a  chorus  of  laughing  ex- 
clamations. "  The  very  idea  !  How  did  you 
find  it  out?" 

"  I  encountered  her  on  my  way  down-stairs 
this  morning,  and  she  asked  me  if  I  knew  where 
she  could  find  a  second-hand  book-shop.  I 
happened  to  know  of  one  and  I  told  her.  We 
were  going  in  the  same  direction  and  we  walked 
together  a  little  way." 

"  Is  she  any  kind  of  an  anything  ? "  asked 
Jack. 

"  That  is  rather  a  vague  question,"  said  Miss 
Helen.  "  Couldn't  you  be  a  little  more  exact, 
Jack  dear  ?  " 

"  I  mean  is  she  a  doctor  or  a  teacher  or  any- 
thing like  that  ?  She  looks  like  she  might  be 
something  besides  just  a  plain  woman." 

"  She  certainly  is  a  plain  enough  woman," 
remarked  Nan  with  a  laugh. 

"  She  didn't  mention  that  she  had  a  profes- 


222  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

sion,  though  I  think  she  is  here  for  a  special 
purpose,  perhaps,"  Miss  Helen  told  them. 

"  American,"  said  Jo  reminiscently  ;  "  that's 
the  limit.  It  shows  that  one  can  never  tell. 
Why,  we  might  have  discussed  our  most  inti- 
mate affairs  before  her,  and  never  have  dreamed 
she  could  understand  a  word  of  what  we  said." 

"  Which  goes  to  show  that  one  must  be  very 
careful  about  one's  speech  when  traveling 
abroad,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  new  girl  and 
boy?"  Joe  asked  Nan  that  same  day. 

"  They're  rather  nice,  I  think.  The  boy  seems 
a  jolly  sort  of  somebody  and  the  girl  is  very 
friendly.  They  are  going  to  school  and  seem 
to  have  a  number  of  friends  here,  which  will 
make  it  pleasant  for  us.  Mother  likes  Mrs. 
Hoyt.  They  know  some  of  the  same  people  at 
home  and  spent  an  hour  reminiscing  after  din- 
ner. I  am  glad  on  mother's  account,  and  Aunt 
Helen's,  too,  that  she  is  so  nice." 

The  American  part  of  the  pension  soon  re- 
solved itself  into  a  very  congenial  party.  Nan 
struck  up  a  friendship  with  Juliet  Hoyt,  while 
Maurice  dangled  after  Jo  and  Mary  Lee. 
Maurice  was  a  merry,  gentlemanly  lad  with 
dancing  brown  eyes,  and  a  frank  mouth.  He 
was  always  ready  for  fun,  and  as  both  Mary  Lee 
and  Joe  were  very  fond  of  outdoor  sports  the 


Settling  Down  223 

three  had  long  walks  together  and  promised 
themselves  later  that  they  would  skate  and  rodel 
and  ski  as  often  as  they  could. 

It  was  not  long  before  Maurice's  schoolmates 
found  out  that  Mrs.  Hoyt's  sitting-room  was  a 
very  pleasant  place,  and  that  she  herself  was  a 
sympathetic  person  into  whose  ears  they  could 
pour  their  woes  or  whom  they  could  come  to  in 
hours  of  homesickness  to  be  comforted,  there- 
fore there  was  scarcely  a  day  passed  but  some 
one  of  Dr.  Mann's  schoolboys  wandered  into 
Pension  Bauer  for  cheer. 

Nan  and  Mary  Lee  had  always  been  thrown 
a  great  deal  with  their  boy  cousins,  and  Jo  was 
so  full  of  life  that  she  naturally  attracted  boys, 
so  it  must  be  confessed  that  Mrs.  Hoyt  was  not 
the  one  chiefly  sought.  "  But  there  is  safety  in 
numbers,"  she  said  to  Mrs.  Corner,  "  and  I  want 
my  children  to  have  good  honest  friendships 
among  both  boys  and  girls,  so  do  please  let  your 
young  people  frolic  with  mine  ;  it  won't  hurt 
them  one  bit.  Moreover  I  think  it  is  much  the 
better  plan  to  allow  them  to  have  their  friends 
here  where  I  can  overlook  them  and  take  part 
in  what  goes  on.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  surest 
way  of  keeping  the  confidence  of  both  my  boy 
and  girl  is#iot  to  be  too  severely  critical,  and 
to  make  whatever  place  stands  for  home  as 
happy  as  possible." 


224  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Mrs.  Corner  quite  agreed  with  her,  and  though 
half  a  dozen  boys  vied  with  one  another  to  see 
which  could  nearest  match  in  socks  and  neck- 
ties the  color  of  Jo's  winter  suit,  the  Sunday 
after  she  appeared  in  it,  and  though  Maurice 
insisted  upon  sending  daily  notes  to  Mary  Lee 
these  were  all  very  harmless  matters.  It  was 
something  to  make  even  their  elders  laugh  to 
see  the  six  boys  in  green  socks  and  neckties  as 
near  of  a  color  as  possible,  and  when  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner read  the  little  jokes  which  passed  for  notes 
she  saw  what  very  innocent  nonsense  it  all  was. 
So  the  young  folks  had  the  best  of  times  and 
afforded  much  amusement  to  their  families. 

"  Winter  is  at  hand,"  said  Nan  one  day  as 
she  came  in  from  her  lessons.  "  They  are  cov- 
ering up  our  beautiful  fountain  that  we  all  love 
so,  and  they  are  beginning  to  pack  up  the  rose- 
bushes and  plants  in  the  parks.  I  wish  you 
would  see  how  beautifully  they  do  it.  They 
have  loads  and  loads  of  evergreen  stuff  that 
they  put  around  the  bushes,  so  when  they  are 
done  up,  instead  of  looking  like  scarecrows 
wrapped  in  straw  they  are  nice,  neat,  well-shaped 
cubes  and  cylinders  of  green  that  don't  offend 
the  eye  in  the  least.  Of  course  they  can't  do 
the  fountain  that  way,  for  it  is  too  big,  and  it 
has  to  have  an  actual  house  of  boards  built  over 
it.  I  am  thankful  for  one  thing,  for  though  they 


Settling  Down  225 

cover  up  so  much  else  they  can't  do  anything 
to  the  Frauenkirche." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that  myself,"  returned  Miss 
Helen.  "  I  love  the  way  those  two  big  towers 
dominate  the  city." 

"  It  is  such  a  nice  orderly  place,"  Nan  went 
on.  "  If  a  pile  of  boards  and  building  materials 
must  be  in  the  street,  it  is  piled  up  as  carefully 
as  possible  so  as  to  take  up  the  least  room ;  it 
isn't  pitched  helter-skelter  all  over  the  place  as 
it  is  so  often  at  home." 

"  They  certainly  do  things  of  that  kind  very 
carefully ;  I  suppose  because  they  take  more 
time.  We  are  always  in  such  a  rush  at 
home." 

"  Another  thing  I  like,"  Nan  went  on,  "  is  the 
number  of  big  landmarks  there  are.  Somehow, 
although  it  is  really  quite  a  large  city,  it  doesn't 
seem  so.  There  is  plenty  of  space,  and  build- 
ings are  set  so  you  can  see  them  easily.  They 
aren't  crowded  in  little  narrow  streets  so  they 
make  no  show  at  all.  When  I  see  the  big 
fountain  I  know  I  am  nearly  home.  The  Neue 
Rathaus  is  another  landmark,  the  Isarthor  is 
another,  the  Odeonsplatz  still  another,  while  if 
you  catch  sight  of  the  Frauenkirche  no  matter 
where  you  are  you  can  tell  in  exactly  what  di- 
rection you  ought  to  go." 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  so  contented,  my  dear," 


226  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

said  Miss  Helen,  "  as  long  as  you  are  to  be  here 
for  the  winter.  I  think  the  others  are,  too." 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  they  are.  Jack  was  delighted 
because  she  happened  to  be  with  you  when  the 
figures  came  out  on  the  clock  in  the  tower  of 
the  Neue  Rathaus." 

"  Yes,  we  happened  to  be  just  in  time." 

"  It  certainly  is  a  fine  building.  Indeed,  it 
seems  to  me  that  Munich  has  nothing  but  fine 
buildings  wherever  you  go  ;  fine  gateways  and 
arches  and  parks.  I  like  those  old  painted 
houses,  too.  In  fact  I  think  Munich  is  delight- 
ful beyond  words,  and  if  Italy  surpasses  it  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  stay  in  my  skin." 

"  It  doesn't  exactly  surpass  it.  Each  has  its 
own  attraction.  To  me  there  is  no  place  quite 
like  Italy ;  it  has  an  indescribable  charm.  I 
am  afraid  we  shall  not  find  the  sunshine  here 
that  we  should  get  there." 

"  I  am  sure  it  has  been  lovely  for  a  whole 
month,  scarcely  a  rainy  day.  Think  how  beau- 
tiful and  sunny  it  was  that  day  we  went  to  the 
Starnberger  See." 

"  Yes,  but  I  am  told  in  winter  the  sun  shines 
seldom.  You  see  Munich  is  on  a  plain  where 
the  mists  gather  and  remain.  While  the  sun 
may  be  shining  brightly  on  the  mountains  above, 
here  it  will  be  dull  and  gray  for  weeks  at  a  time. 
You  remember  that  even  at  the  Isarthal  it  was 


Settling  Down  227 

clear  and  bright,  yet  we  found  Munich  wrapped 
in  mist  when  we  came  back.  It  is  said  to  be 
healthful  nevertheless." 

"  I  don't  like  the  not  seeing  the  sun,  but 
maybe  we  won't  miss  it  so  very  much  so  long 
as  it  doesn't  rain  much.  There  is  one  thing  that 
is  very  funny  to  me,  Aunt  Helen,  and  that  is  to 
see  how  the  women  work.  It  looks  ridiculous 
to  see  a  woman  in  an  absurd  Tyrolese  hat  with 
a  feather  sticking  up  straight  behind,  turning 
the  tram  switches,  and  to  see  them  carrying 
heavy  loads  of  wood  on  their  backs  or  pushing 
a  big  cart  through  the  streets  is  something  I 
cannot  get  used  to.  Look  at  our  little  Anna 
here  at  the  pension  ;  she  goes  down  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  somewhere  and  brings  up 
coal,  great  buckets  of  it,  over  two  long  flights. 
Imagine  expecting  a  servant  to  do  that  at 
home." 

"  The  German  point  of  view  is  quite  different 
from  ours  in  more  than  one  direction,  you  will 
find." 

"  I  have  noticed  that.  The  other  day  when 
we  all  went  out  to  the  Isarthal  with  Fraulein 
Bauer  and  her  brother,  although  he  was  as  po- 
lite as  a  dancing-master  in  most  ways,  he  never 
offered  to  help  her  or  any  one  up  those  hundreds 
of  steps  one  must  climb  to  get  to  the  station  at 
H  ollriegelsgreuth-Griin  wald. ' ' 


228  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Miss  Helen  laughed.  "How  did  you  ever 
remember  that  long  name,  Nan?" 

"  Oh,  I  made  a  point  of  it  because  it  was  so 
nice  and  long.  As  I  was  saying  Herr  Bauer 
seemed  quite  a  pig  by  the  side  of  Dr.  Paul  who 
is  always  so  lovely  and  courteous  to  every  one. 
Fraulein  Bauer  was  quite  overcome  when  he 
rushed  back  to  help  her.  I  don't  believe  a  man 
ever  did  such  a  thing  before  for  her." 

"  As  we  were  just  saying  their  standards  are 
very  different  from  ours,  although  you  will  not 
find  so  great  differences  in  the  upper  classes. 
Generally  speaking,  a  woman  must  be  a  good 
hausfrau  and  make  the  men  comfortable  to 
reach  the  proper  ideal ;  failing  this  she  is  a 
worthless  creature  in  the  estimation  of  most  of 
the  men." 

"  Give  me  my  own,  my  native  land,"  sang 
Nan,  "  and  above  all,  give  me  the  blessed  men 
from  our  own  part  of  the  country.  There  are 
none  like  them  in  the  whole  wide  world." 


CHAPTER  XII 
ALL  SAINTS 


CHAPTER  XII 

ALL  SAINTS 

SUNDAY  was  always  an  interesting  day,  for 
there  were  many  things  to  do.  The  little 
American  church  near  the  Odeonsplatz  was  a 
homelike  place  where  once  a  week,  at  least,  one 
could  imagine  himself  at  home,  so  familiar  was 
the  service  in  one's  own  tongue,  and  here  the 
family  generally  went.  After  church  it  was  the 
custom  to  promenade  up  and  down  the  Parada, 
and  with  the  rest  of  the  citizens  to  listen  to  the 
music  of  the  band  which  played  upon  the  bal- 
cony of  the  Feldernhalle. 

But  there  was  one  Sunday  when  the  morning 
service  was  unattended  by  any  from  Pension 
Bauer,  for  all  took  their  way  to  the  cemetery. 
This  was  the  day  of  All  Saints,  and  every  grave, 
even  the  humblest,  was  decorated,  lights  were 
set  to  burn,  and  the  whole  place  looked  like  a 
great  garden  of  blossoms.  There  were  many 
persons  walking  quietly  around,  old  women  were 
stationed  to  watch  the  tall  candles  or  to  replen- 
ish the  swinging  lamps. 


232  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"It  is  very  solemn  and  very  beautiful,"  said 
Nan  to  Dr.  Woods,  with  whom  she  was  walk- 
ing. "  I  never  imagined  anything  quite  like 
this,  but  I  think  it  is  a  beautiful  custom." 

"  The  royal  tombs  are  decorated  to-day,  too," 
said  Dr.  Woods.  "We  ought  to  go  to  St. 
Michael's,  for  in  the  crypt  there  King  Ludwig  II 
and  a  number  of  others  are  buried.  A  great 
many  persons  visit  the  place  every  year,  for 
this  is  the  only  day  upon  which  the  place  is 
opened  to  the  public.  If  you  all  are  not  too 
tired  we  might  go  there  from  here." 

Nan  agreed  and  they  passed  on  to  where 
Jean  and  Jack  were  standing  whispering  to- 
gether. 

"  Look,  Nan,"  said  Jack,  "  at  that  little  girl 
over  there.  She  is  putting  that  one  little  candle 
and  that  tiny  bunch  of  flowers  on  a  grave.  She 
looks  so  poor.  I  wonder  whose  grave  it  is  ?  I 
hope  it  is  not  her  mother's." 

"  See,  she  is  coming  away,"  said  Nan.  "  Don't 
watch  her  so  closely,  dear;  it  doesn't  seem 
kind." 

The  two  children  turned  quickly  away,  but 
could  not  forbear  watching  the  little  girl  as  she 
slowly  passed  out  the  gate. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  about  her,"  said  Jack  fol- 
lowing the  departing  figure  with  sympathetic 
glances. 


All  Saints 


233 


"Let's  go,  Nan,"  said  Jean;  "it  is  so  sad 
here." 

"  I  don't  think  you  twinnies  ought  to  have 
come,"  Nan  told  them. 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  ought.  We  like  the  flowers 
and  the  lights,  but  we  don't  like  little  girls  like 
that  to  be  so  poor  as  not  to  have  more  flowers 
and  candles,"  Jack  returned. 

They  now  came  up  to  the  rest  of  the  party 
and  proposed  the  walk  to  see  the  royal  tombs, 
but  Mrs.  Corner  decided  that  she  was  too  tired 
to  go  and,  therefore,  the  twins  went  home  with 
her  while  the  others  continued  to  the  church. 
Here  a  long  procession  of  persons  passed 
steadily  in  and  out  of  the  crypt,  where  masses 
of  flowers  and  brilliant  lights  surrounded  the 
tombs  of  dead  royalty. 

"I'd  like  to  know  more  about  King  Lud- 
wig  II,"  said  Nan  to  her  companion.  "The 
Bavarian  succession  is  so  mixed  up  in  my  mind 
I  never  do  get  it  straight." 

"There  is  a  little  history  of  Bavaria  that  I 
saw  somewhere.  I  shall  be  glad  to  bring  it  to 
you,  if  you  would  care  to  look  it  over.  You 
will  find  this  a  most  interesting  kingdom,  full 
of  romance  as  well  as  of  solid  fact.  The  unfor- 
tunate Ludwig  II  was  son  of  Maximilian  II 
and  grandson  of  Ludwig  I.  The  present  Prince 
Regent  is  a  son  of  Ludwig  I  and  a  brother  of 


234  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Maximilian  II.  He  is,  therefore,  uncle  of  Lud- 
wig  II  and  of  the  poor  mad  king  Otto,  the 
actual  king." 

"  I  will  write  that  all  down,  and  then  I  can 
remember  it  better,"  said  Nan.  This  she  pro- 
ceeded to  do.  "  I  should  like  very  much  to  see 
the  history,  thank  you,  and  get  all  these  Lud- 
wigs  and  Maximilians  straightened  out.  It  will 
make  the  places  named  after  them  so  much 
more  interesting.  I  did  get  a  sort  of  half  idea 
from  all  those  wonderful  castles  we  have  been 
making  trips  to  see,  but  I  am  not  yet  quite 
exact." 

"I  think  you  will  like  the  legend  called 
'  Weibtreue '  which  tells  of  an  event  away  back 
in  the  twelfth  century." 

"Tell  me  it." 

"  The  story  goes  that  Welf  VI  with  his  wife 
and  followers  were  besieged  by  Konrad,  the 
Hohenstaufen.  After  a  long  time  they  said 
they  would  yield,  but  Konrad  was  so  angry  at 
the  long  resistance  that  he  declared  that  every 
man  should  be  killed,  though  he  consented  to 
allow  the  women  to  go  out  first,  each  being 
allowed  to  take  with  her  the  thing  she  valued 
the  most.  Finally  when  the  city  gates  were 
flung  open  out  came  a  long  train  of  women, 
and  what  do  you  think  they  had  on  their 
backs?" 


All  Saints  235 

Nan's  eyes  were  bright  as  stars.  She  loved 
this  sort  of  legend.  "  What  ?  "  she  asked. 

"The  Countess  Ida,  Welfs  wife,  came  first 
and  on  her  back  she  carried  her  husband.  Each 
of  the  women  following  carried  either  a  husband, 
father,  lover,  son  or  brother." 

"Goodl"  Nan's  hands  came  together.  "And 
what  did  Konrad  do  ?  " 

"  His  soldiers  were  furious  at  the  trick,  but 
Konrad  himself  was  so  struck  by  the  women's 
devotion  that  he  forgave  them  every  one." 

Nan  laughed.  "  Now  I  know  why  the  women 
of  Germany  have  such  mighty  strong  backs. 
They  began  their  training  away  back  in  the 
twelfth  century  and  evidently  have  kept  it  up 
ever  since,  for  they  carry  such  loads  as  I  never 
saw." 

Dr.  Paul  laughed,  and  the  two,  having  passed 
through  the  Karlsthor  and  up  the  wide  Len- 
bach-platz,  waited  for  the  others  who  had  lagged 
a  little  behind. 

Mrs.  Hoyt's  sitting-room  was  more  of  a  ren- 
dezvous on  a  rainy  Sunday  afternoon  than  at 
any  other  time,  and  when  the  chill  mists  had 
resolved  themselves  into  a  persistent  drizzle,  the 
young  people  gathered  in  the  cheery  place  to 
forget  outside  conditions  and  to  get  rid  of  the 
blues.  Here,  after  dinner,  Nan  found  Mary 
Lee  and  Jo  with  the  Hoyt  family  and  two  or 


236          The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

three  of  Maurice's  schoolfellows.  Mrs.  Hoyt 
was  dispensing  toasted  buns,  Lebkiicken  and 
chocolate,  and  it  was  the  coziest  of  companies. 

"Just  in  time,"  Mrs.  Hoyt  told  her.  "Sit 
right  down  wherever  you  can  find  a  place,  Nan. 
We  have  none  too  many  chairs,  as  you  see." 

Maurice  jumped  to  his  feet  and  gave  Nan  his 
place  while  he  took  a  position  on  the  floor  by 
Jo,  who  was  seated  on  a  sofa  cushion  by  the 
window. 

"This  is  nice,"  said  Nan  in  a  satisfied  tone. 
"  It  is  so  much  like  home,  and  one  does  get 
tired  of  foreign  doings  once  in  a  while." 

"  I  thought  we'd  better  stay  in  this  drizzly 
afternoon,"  remarked  Mrs.  Hoyt.  "Juliet,  for 
one,  should  not  go  out,  for  she  has  already 
taken  cold." 

"  If  she  has  taken  cold  give  her  quinine ;  if 
she  has  taken  anything  else,  give  her  thirty 
days,"  advised  Maurice,  between  bites  of  Leb- 
kiicken. And  of  course  everybody  laughed,  as 
he  meant  they  should. 

"  This  is  the  best  Lebkiicken  I  ever  ate,"  said 
Nan.  "It  is  much  better  than  any  we  have 
had." 

"That  is  because  it  is  the  real  Nuremburg 
article,"  Mrs.  Hoyt  told  her.  "There  is  none 
quite  so  good.  Have  you  been  to  Nuremburg, 
Nan?" 


All  Saints  237 

"  No,  but  perhaps  we  shall  go  before  it  gets 
too  cold.  Aunt  Helen  was  speaking  of  it  only 
yesterday.  I  want  so  much  to  see  the  Hans 
Sachs  house,  the  old  streets  and  the  Burg." 

"  There  is  really  a  great  deal  to  see  there,  and 
it  is  a  convenient  point  from  which  to  go  to 
Rothenburg,  which,  if  anything,  is  even  more 
picturesque.  If  you  like  an  old  mediaeval  town 
you  will  have  it  there." 

"  Then  I  hope  we  can  go  to  both  places.  I 
particularly  want  to  see  Nuremburg  on  account 
of  its  being  the  scene  of  the  Meistersinger.  I 
love  that  street  scene,  and  I  hope  the  real  thing 
looks  just  like  it,"  replied  Nan,  who  by  this  time 
had  heard  several  operas. 

"  It  is  quite  exact,"  Mrs.  Hoyt  told  her. 
"  Boys,  stop  demolishing  those  cushions  ;  this  is 
not  a  dormitory  for  a  pillow  fight.  Do  be  sen- 
sible." 

"  We  would  be  if  we  could,  Mrs.  Hoyt,"  re- 
plied Henry  Olcott,  whom  the  boys  dubbed 
Heinz,  as  a  German  contraction  of  Heinrich. 

"  I  don't  see  what  Mr.  Mann  does  with  such 
a  lot  of  animal  spirits,"  continued  Mrs.  Hoyt. 

"There  are  fifty-seven  varieties,"  remarked 
Jo,  "  and  they  are  all  pickles." 

"  Not  all,  please,  Miss  Jo,"  said  Henry  pros- 
trating himself  at  Jo's  feet.  "  Thy  servant  is  a 
baked  bean  with  tomato  sauce  ;  try  Heinz." 


238  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"I  can  vouch  for  the  sauce,M  retorted  Jo. 
"  Get  up,  silly,  I  am  not  a  heathen  idol." 

Just  as  Henry  was  rising  to  make  a  dignified 
salaam,  one  of  the  other  boys  gave  him  a  push 
and  down  he  went  again  on  his  knees,  to  the 
detriment  of  his  new  trousers. 

"  I  say,  this  is  too  much  rough-house,"  ex- 
claimed Henry.  "  Mrs.  Hoyt,  call  these  fellows 
to  order." 

"Come,  boys,"  cried  Mrs.  Hoyt,  "you  are 
getting  too  obstreperous.  We  shall  have  to 
sing  hymns  to  sober  you  down." 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  all  standing  at  the 
piano  singing  "  Onward  Christian  Soldiers " 
with  all  the  vim  their  youthful  voices  possessed, 
Nan  accompanying.  They  sang  for  an  hour, 
the  boys  coming  out  strong  on  the  hymn  of  the 
St.  Andrew's  brotherhood,  and  all  those  with 
any  sort  of  martial  spirit.  As  a  fitting  close, 
Mrs.  Hoyt  selected  "  For  all  the  saints  who  from 
their  labors  rest,"  since  this  was  All  Saints 
day. 

The  lads  had  entirely  quieted  down  by  the 
time  this  was  ended,  and  Dick  Langham,  the 
most  exuberant  of  them  all,  had  actual  tears  in 
his  eyes  as  he  whispered  to  Mrs.  Hoyt  at  part- 
ing, "  I  just  wish  my  mother  were  here,  Mrs 
Hoyt ;  I'd  like  to  play  baby  and  get  in  her  lap. 
Those  old  hymns  took  me  right  back  home." 


All  Saints  239 

"  Come  to  us  whenever  you  want  to  be  moth- 
ered," Mrs.  Hoyt  responded.  "  I  won't  promise 
to  take  you  on  my  lap,  Dick,  but  I  will  do  my 
best  to  cheer  you  up." 

"  Thank  you,  I'll  come,"  said  Dick,  bending 
low  and  kissing  her  hand. 

The  boys  trooped  out  as  darkness  settled  down 
on  the  outer  world.  The  electric  lights  showed 
shining  reflections  on  the  wet  street.  Maximil- 
ianplatz  looked  quiet  and  empty.  The  "  honk- 
honk  "  of  an  automobile  once  in  a  while  speeding 
along,  and  the  noise  of  a  passing  tram-car  alone 
interrupted  the  quiet  till  the  bells  of  the  Frauen- 
kirche  pealed  out  the  angelus. 

The  rain  continued  with  greater  force  the  next 
day,  and  Jean,  who  had  taken  cold  through  stay 
ing  too  long  in  the  cemetery,  was  kept  at  home 
from  school.  She  found  it  rather  dreary,  for 
there  were  none  of  the  accustomed  pets  which 
at  home  helped  to  beguile  the  hours,  nor  had 
she  her  favorite  story-books.  She  was  usually 
a  patient  little  body  and  able  to  amuse  herself, 
but  to-day  time  hung  heavily  and  she  looked 
many  times  at  the  clock,  saying  mournfully,  "  It 
is  such  a  long  morning ;  I  wish  Jack  would 
come.  What  can  I  do,  mother,  to  pass  away 
the  time?" 

At  last  having  exhausted  all  her  resources, 
Mrs.  Corner  was  obliged  to  think  up  some  new 


240      •     The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

entertainment.  "You  can  stand  there  by  the 
window  "  she  said,  "  and  tell  me  what  things 
you  see  that  you  don't  see  at  home." 

This  struck  Jean's  fancy  at  once  and  she 
stationed  herself  where  she  could  look  up  and 
down  the  street.  "  I  see  four  Dienst — do  you 
say  mannen  ?  " 

"  No,  I  think  it  would  be  Dienstmanner" 

"  Then  I  see  four  Dienstmanner  with  red  caps 
on." 

"  That  is  one  thing.  Write  it  down.  Here 
is  a  paper  and  pencil." 

"  Dienstmanner  on  corner,"  wrote  Jean.  "  I 
see  two  soldiers  not  a  bit  like  ours." 

"That  makes  two  things." 

"And  a  man  wearing  a  cloak,  a  man  on  a 
wheel,  and  the  cloak  flies  out  behind  in  the 
funniest  way.  Nobody  wears  cloaks  at  home 
and  all  the  men,  women  and  children  do  here." 
She  wrote  this  down  carefully  and  then  looked 
out  again. 

"  What  do  you  see,  Sister  Anne  ?  "  asked  her 
mother  after  a  while. 

"I  didn't  see  anything  creer  for  a  few  min- 
utes, but  now  I  see  something :  the  man  and 
the  dog  pulling  the  cart  together.  That  will  be 
a  fine  thing  to  write  down.  Now  I  see  two  of 
those  great  big  horses  Nan  likes  so  much  ;  they 
are  pulling  a  long  wagon  piled  up  with  beer 


All  Saints  241 

kegs,  and  there's  another  horse  harnessed  to 
one  side  the  pole  like  you  were  talking  about 
the  other  day.  That  is  crite  different  from  the 
things  they  do  at  home.  Oh,  and  there  is  an 
old  woman  with  a  load  of  wood  on  her  back. 
She  carries  it  in  a  sort  of  rack.  It  looks  like  a 
lot  for  such  an  old  woman  to  carry ;  she  is  all 
bent  over  with  the  weight  of  it." 

"  That  you  would  scarcely  see  at  home." 
Jean  was  silent  for  a  time.  "There  are  a 
great  many  dogs,"  she  said  after  a  while, 
"dachshunds  more  than  any  other  kind;  but 
those  you  see  at  home,  though  not  so  many. 
I  reckon  I  won't  put  them  down.  Now  I  see 
something,"  she  began  after  a  pause.  "  It  is 
the  woman  that  turns  the  switch  there  by  the 
car  track ;  she  has  that  funny  hat  on,  and  a 
cloak.  There  goes  a  man  and  a  little  boy  and 
both  are  dressed  differently  from  any  one  we 
see  at  home.  The  man  has  on  a  Jager  cos- 
tume, and  I  suppose  the  little  boy's  is  meant  to 
be  the  same.  He  has  black  velvet  trousers 
embroidered  with  green,  and  a  little  jacket. 
His  stockings  come  below  the  knees  so  the 
knees  are  bare.  He  has  a  hat  on  with  a  long 
feather  sticking  up  in  the  back,  and  some  edel- 
weiss at  the  side."  She  wrote  this  all  down 
carefully  and  surveyed  her  work  with  pride. 
"  I  think  that  is  a  great  deal  to  see,"  she  told 


242  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

her  mother,  "  and  I  suppose  if  I  stayed  long 
enough  I  would  see  crauntities  of  other  things. 
I  am  going  to  take  this  home  with  me  and 
show  it  to  my  friends."  She  watched  for  some 
time,  but  saw  nothing  more  of  unusual  interest. 

"  Suppose  we  vary  it  a  little,"  said  her  mother, 
seeing  the  amusement  was  beginning  to  lose  its 
zest.  "  See  how  many  things  you  know  the 
German  names  of;  that  will  be  an  excellent 
exercise,  and  will  be  an  interesting  way  of 
studying." 

Jean  found  that  she  knew  much  more  than 
she  supposed,  though  she  did  not  always  know 
how  to  spell  the  words,  and  soon  became  rather 
weary  of  looking  them  up  in  the  dictionary, 
but  she  had  really  passed  a  long  time  at  the 
window,  and  was  relieved  to  find  that  very  soon 
it  would  be  time  for  Jack  to  come  in.  So  she 
sat  down  to  watch  for  her. 

But  Jack  seemed  unusually  late,  and  Jean 
became  actually  impatient  before  she  saw  the 
little  figure  in  red  coat  skipping  across  the 
street  with  her  Aunt  Helen,  who  had  gone  to 
the  school  for  her.  Jack  came  in  with  her 
usual  impetuosity.  She  carried  a  small  pack- 
age, and  this  she  thrust  into  Jean's  hand.  "  It 
is  for  you,"  she  said.  "  We  stopped  to  get  it, 
and  that  is  why  we  were  so  late.  We  got  it  at 
that  lovely  toy  shop  on  the  Karlsplatz." 


All  Saints  243 

The  windows  of  the  toy  shops  were  a  never 
failing  source  of  entertainment  to  even  the  older 
girls,  for  they  held  miracles  of  ingenuity  in  the 
way  of  toys.  To  Jack  and  Jean  it  seemed  that 
such  a  kitchen  as  one  window  displayed,  or 
such  a  wedding-party  as  another  showed,  it 
would  be  the  height  of  bliss  to  possess.  Jean 
especially  admired  the  tiny  dishes  which  con- 
tained make-believe  articles  of  food  of  every 
kind  and  description,  all  so  natural  that  it 
seemed  hard  to  believe  they  were  not  good  to 
eat.  Jack  liked  the  kitchen  with  its  array  of 
cooking  utensils,  its  dust-pan  and  brush,  and 
its  basket  of  marketing  which  stood  ready  for 
the  cook's  attention. 

Jean  opened  her  package  with  pleased  antic- 
ipation on  her  face,  and  found  a  pretty  little 
doll  and  two  of  the  tiny  plates  of  make-believe 
food.  The  doll  was  one  she  had  admired  the 
last  time  she  and  Jack  had  stood  before  the 
shop-window.  "  It  is  a  darling,"  she  said,  "  and 
I  just  love  the  little  dishes.  Did  you  buy  them 
yourself,  Jack,  with  your  own  money?  It  was 
lovely  of  you,  if  you  did." 

"  I  bought  the  doll  and  Aunt  Helen  the  dishes. 
Oh,  Jean,  what  do  you  think  we  did  ?  We 
stopped  at  the  Kiosk  on  our  way  home  and 
Aunt  Helen  bought  tickets  for  the  loveliest 
fairy  play  that  we  are  all  going  to  next  week. 


244  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

It  is  for  children  and  it  is  called  '  The  Princess 
Herzlieb ' ;  that  means  the  Princess  Heartlove. 
Isn't  it  a  lovely  name  ?  " 

"  It  is  lovely  and  I  do  hope  I  can  go,"  re- 
turned Jean  ecstatically.  She  loved  fairy  stories 
above  everything. 

"  Of  course  you  can  go.  It  isn't  for  about 
ten  days,  and  you  are  not  really  ill,  you 
know." 

"I'm  sort  of  ill,"  said  Jean  putting  on  a  lack- 
adaisical expression ;  "  mother  thought  I  had 
fever  last  night."  It  would  never  do  to  have 
her  condition  underrated,  of  course. 

"  Well,  you  will  surely  be  well  in  ten  days." 

Jean  admitted  that  she  might  be  well  by  that 
time,  and  after  deciding  to  call  the  doll  Princess 
Herzlieb,  the  two  went  off  together  to  play. 

"I  saw  that  little  girl  again  this  morning," 
Jack  remarked  when  they  were  established  in  a 
corner.  "  The  little  girl  we  saw  yesterday  in 
the  cemetery,  the  poor  little  girl." 

"  Oh,  and  did  you  speak  to  her  ?  " 

"  No,  I  only  smiled.  I  am  thinking,  Jean, 
that  it  would  be  nice  to  do  something  for  her  at 
Christmas.  We  have  always  done  something 
for  somebody  then,  you  know." 

"  But  you  don't  know  where  she  lives  nor 
anything  about  her." 

"  No,  but  maybe  I  shall  see  her  again.     I 


All  Saints  245 

will  watch  for  her.  I  saw  her  this  morning  as  I 
was  going  to  school." 

"  What  was  she  doing  ?    Just  walking  along?  " 

"She  was  talking  to  the  woman  who  turns 
the  switch  near  our  school." 

"  Then  maybe  the  woman  would  know." 

"  I  thought  of  that,  and  if  we  don't  see  the 
little  girl  again  before  Christmas  we  might  ask 
the  woman  or  get  some  one  else  to  do  it.  I 
know  Nan  would." 

"  Did  she  look  very  poor?"  asked  Jean  trying 
to  settle  the  doll  before  a  table  of  books  she  had 
built. 

"  Poorer  than  ever,  for  she  hadn't  her  Sunda)' 
clothes  on." 

"  Maybe  mother  will  let  us  give  her  some  of 
our  things." 

"  Maybe  she  will.  I  don't  suppose  she  will 
have  any  Christmas  tree,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  suppose  she  will." 

"  I  heard  Mrs.  Hoyt  say  that  everybody  does 
have  a  tree  in  Germany." 

"  Everybody  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  there  are  some  who  are  too 
poor.  Maybe  the  switch  woman  is  the  little 
girl's  mother,  and  it  was  her  father  she  was  put- 
ting the  candle  and  flowers  for." 

"  I  am  going  to  ask  her  when  we  know  her." 

"  Oh,  Jean  ! " 


246  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Yes,  I  am.  I  don't  think  it  would  be  any- 
thing at  all.  Jack,  we  ought  to  be  saving  up 
for  Christmas,  and  here  you've  been  spending 
money  for  me." 

"  Because  you  had  to  stay  in  and  have  a 
stupid  time."  There  was  nothing  worse  to 
Jack  than  to  be  deprived  of  her  time  out-of- 
doors. 

"  It  wasn't  very  stupid.  Mother  made  up 
some  nice  creer  plays.  I'll  show  you  what  I 
did."  She  produced  her  paper  and  informed 
her  sister  that  she  intended  to  add  to  her  list  of 
unusual  things  and  to  play  the  same  play  on 
rainy  days  in  every  new  city  she  chanced  to 
visit. 

Jack  quite  approved  of  the  play,  and  at  first 
wanted  to  copy  the  paper,  but  finally  decided 
that  she  would  rather  pick  out  the  things  herself. 

"  I  think  I  will  get  a  little  blank  book,"  she 
said,  "  and  then  I  can  keep  them  all  together." 

Jean  thought  this  a  good  plan,  and  they  con- 
cluded that  some  of  their  next  allowance  should 
be  spent  in  this  way. 

By  this  time  it  was  getting  too  dark  to  con- 
tinue their  play,  and  the  Princess  Herzlieb  had 
finished  her  meal  so  they  bore  her  into  the  sit- 
ting-room, where  Nan  had  just  finished  practi- 
cing, and  where  Jo  and  Mary  Lee  were  strug- 
gling over  their  German  grammar. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  FAIRY  PLAY  AND  ITS 
CONSEQUENCES 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  FAIRY  PLAY  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES 

As  the  time  for  the  fairy  play  approached  the 
children  grew  more  and  more  eager.  Even  the 
elder  members  of  the  party  were  going ;  the 
Hoyts,  too,  had  taken  tickets. 

"  Do  let  us  have  our  own  tickets,  mother," 
begged  Jack  before  they  started.  "  It  seems  so 
nice  to  really  own  them,  and  so  much  more  im- 
portant than  if  some  one  else  gave  them  in. 
We  will  take  good  care  of  them.  I'll  put  mine 
in  my  pocketbook,  and  I'll  promise  not  to  lose 
it." 

"  It  will  be  to  your  own  sorrow  if  you  do," 
her  mother  told  her.  "Here  it  is.  Perhaps  it 
is  a  good  plan  to  let  you  have  this  much  respon- 
sibility, for  it  will  give  you  a  chance  of  depend- 
ing upon  your  own  wits." 

Jack  stowed  away  her  ticket  safely,  giving 
only  stealthy  peeps  at  it  once  in  a  while  during 
the  time  they  were  on  the  street-cars  which 
would  take  them  to  the  Gartnerplatz  theatre. 
At  the  last  moment  before  they  entered  she 
looked  to  see  if  it  were  there,  and  held  it  tightly 
as  she  was  about  to  follow  the  others.  Miss 


250  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Helen  was  in  front,  the  older  girls  came  next, 
Jean  was  just  ahead  of  Jack.  Suddenly  Jack's 
eye  fell  upon  a  forlorn  little  figure  by  the  door, 
wistfully  watching  the  faces  of  the  many  happy 
children  who  were  entering  the  door.  Jack 
paused,  and  gave  a  long  look  at  the  child  to 
make  sure  she  was  the  same  they  had  seen  in 
the  cemetery  on  All  Saints  day.  She  had  not 
met  her  since  the  morning  she  saw  her  talking 
to  the  switch-tender,  but  she  was  very  sure  that 
she  was  not  mistaken  in  believing  her  to  be  the 
one  in  whom  she  and  Jean  were  interested. 
She  stood  smiling  at  the  little  girl  and  received 
a  timid  smile  in  return. 

"  Gehen  zie  in  theatre  ?  "  asked  Jack  in  her  best 
German. 

"  Nein"  answered  the  child. 

"  Warum  ?  "  inquired  Jack. 

" Ich  habe  kein  billet" 

Jack  hesitated  but  a  moment  before  she  thrust 
her  ticket  into  the  hand  of  the  child  who  looked 
astounded.  "  Here,"  said  Jack,  and  then  she 
rushed  tumultuously  away  leaving  the  child  gaz- 
ing from  the  ticket  to  the  fast  disappearing 
figure  of  the  little  girl  who  hurried  off. 

Jack  had  a  good  bump  of  locality  and  knew 
exactly  what  car  to  take  in  order  to  return  home, 
and  thither  she  went,  not  without  some  regrets 
at  her  impetuous  generosity,  it  must  be  con- 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     251 

fessed,  but  on  the  whole  quite  satisfied  with  her- 
self. It  seemed  a  very  long  afternoon,  but  she 
went  bravely  through  it,  occupying  the  time  by 
writing  to  her  friend  Carter  Barnwell,  and  by 
doing  such  things  as  were  not  encouraged  when 
her  elders  were  at  home.  It  was  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity to  pick  out  tunes  on  the  piano,  for  ex- 
ample, and  to  leap  from  chair  to  chair  pretend- 
ing that  there  was  only  water  between.  She 
could  also  rummage  and  dress  up,  choosing 
Nan's  frocks  for  the  latter  performance,  since 
these  would  trail  further  on  the  ground.  She 
put  a  suit  of  Mary  Lee's  on  a  pillow  and  pre- 
tended it  was  another  person  while  she,  herself, 
was  the  Princess  Herzlieb,  so  after  all  the  time 
did  not  go  slowly. 

She  was  standing  by  the  window  watching 
when  the  family  returned. 

"Jack  Corner,  you  are  the  most  surprising 
child  I  ever  saw,"  began  Nan. 

"  Oh,  but  you  missed  it,"  cried  Jean.  "  You 
never  saw  anything  so  lovely." 

"Hush,  Jean,"  said  Mrs.  Corner.  "Jack, 
dear,  I  want  to  know  how  it  happened  the  little 
girl  had  your  place." 

"  We  were  so  surprised  when  she  came  in," 
said  Mary  Lee.  "  We  thought  you  were  right 
behind  us,  and  that  the  little  girl  had  taken  the 
wrong  seat  for  there  were  two  empty  just  the 


252  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

other  side,  though  they  were  filled  later,  but  no 
indeed,  there  was  the  number  all  right.  You 
never  saw  such  an  amazed  child  as  she  was  in 
all  your  life.  I  don't  suppose  she  had  ever 
been  in  such  a  place  before." 

"  Tell  us  about  it,  Jack,"  said  her  mother  tak- 
ing the  child's  hands  in  hers. 

"  I  saw  her  standing  on  the  steps  watching 
the  people  go  in,  and  she  looked  so  poor  and 
miserable,  and  I  thought  of  the  candle  and  the 
flowers  and  that  maybe  she  never  did  have  any 
good  times,  so  I  asked  her  if  she  were  going  in 
and  she  said  no,  she  hadn't  any  ticket,  so  I  said 
here,  and  I  gave  her  mine  and  ran." 

"  You  impulsive  little  child,"  said  her  mother. 
'Why,  dearie,  rather  than  have  had  you  give, 
up  the  play  I  would  gladly  have  let  you  take 
my  place.  Indeed,  as  soon  as  we  had  inquired 
of  the  little  girl  how  she  came  to  have  the  ticket 
I  did  go  out  to  find  you,  but  you  were  nowhere 
to  be  seen." 

Jack  looked  a  little  regretful.  "What  did 
the  little  girl  say  ?  "  she  asked.  "  What  did  you 
all  talk  to  her  about  ?  " 

"  Your  Aunt  Helen  asked  if  she  had  found  the 
ticket,  for  she  thought  you  must  have  dropped 
it  But  the  little  girl  said,  no,  a  madchen,  a 
gnadiges  fraulein  gave  it  to  her,  and  then  we 
knew." 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     253 

Jack  turned  eagerly  to  Jean.  "  Did  you  ask 
her  name,  Jean,  and  where  she  lived?" 

"  I  forgot.  I  was  so  excited  about  the  play, 
but  Aunt  Helen  asked,  didn't  she,  mother?" 

"  Yes,  her  name  is  Bertha  Metzger,  and  she 
lives  over  the  other  side  of  the  market.  Did  I 
understand  you  to  say,  Jack,  that  you  had  seen 
her  before  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  didn't  Jean  tell  you  ?  She  is  the 
little  girl  we  saw  in  the  cemetery  that  Sunday, 
the  one  who  had  only  a  little  candle  and  such  a 
measly  tiny  bunch  of  flowers." 

"  And  that  is  why  you  felt  like  doing  this  for 
her,  I  see." 

"  Of  course  that  was  it." 

"  Oh,  Jack,"  exclaimed  Jean  again  raptur- 
ously, "  it  was  so  lovely.  The  Princess  Herzlieb 
was  bee-yutiful,  and  the  prince  so  handsome. 
It  was  like  a  real  fairy-land  with  roses  and 
things,  and  the  fairy  godmother  lived  in  a  cun- 
ning house,  and  had  the  dearest  boy  pigeons  to 
carry  her  messages.  They  would  flap  their 
wings  just  like  real  pigeons,  only  they  were 
people  dressed  up  to  look  like  pigeons.  Then 
there  was  a  funny  fat  old  cook  that  made  every- 
body laugh ;  you  ought  to  have  seen  him,  he 
was  so  ridiculous." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Jack  with  pretended  in- 
difference. 


254  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  And  the  brother  of  the  princess  was  changed 
into  stone  because  he  was  a  very  bad  boy,  and 
the  princess  could  break  the  spell  only  by 
going  into  the  king's  kitchen  and  working  like 
a  servant  for  a  year,  and  in  all  that  time  she 
couldn't  speak  a  word  ;  if  she  did  there  would 
be  no  chance  of  her  freeing  her  brother  from 
the  spell.  Oh,  it  was  so  exciting  I  was  so  afraid 
she  would  have  to  speak." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Jack,  not  quite  so 
bravely. 

"And,"  Jean  went  on  still  intent  upon  her 
tale,  "there  was  a  great  big  Christmas  tree 
at  the  last  and  the  king  and  the  king's  brother 
— he  was  the  prince  who  loved  the  princess — 
and  a  lot  of  the  court  were  all  there,  then  after- 
ward the  prince  found  the  princess  and  she  had 
served  her  time  as  a  servant  so  she  could  free 
her  brother,  so  she  did,  and  oh,  -it  was  fine. 
There  were  so  many  lovely  things.  There  was 
a  fairy  who  appeared  and  disappeared  like 
magic,  and — oh,  yes,  I  forgot,  there  was  such  a 
funny  dance " 

"  I — don't  care,"  said  Jack  in  a  broken  voice 
and  rushing  from  the  room.  After  all,  her 
sacrifice  had  not  seemed  to  mean  much.  Every 
one  had  been  entertained  and  had  not  missed 
her  greatly.  Even  Jean,  her  own  twin,  had  not 
said  she  was  sorry  that  her  little  sister  was  not 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     255 

there,  but  seemed,  on  the  contrary,  rather  to 
triumph  over  her.  They  had  not  said  much 
about  Bertha,  and — well  the  tears  began  to  run 
down  her  cheeks  as  she  stood  alone  in  the  dark 
by  the  window  of  the  room  where  she  and  Jean 
slept. 

Presently  the  door  opened  softly  and  some 
one  came  in.  "  Is  that  you  here  in  the  dark, 
Jacksie  ?"  It  was  Nan  who  spoke.  "  I  am  so 
sorry  you  missed  the  play.  I  couldn't  half  en- 
joy it  for  thinking  about  you.  But,  honey,  you 
did  the  loveliest  thing  for  little  Bertha,  and  you 
are  a  real  little  Princess  Herzlieb  yourself,  be- 
cause poor  Bertha  is  shut  out  from  everything, 
from  all  the  lovely  things  and  the  comforts  you 
have  and  you  broke  the  spell  by  making  a  sacri- 
fice, just  as  the  Princess  Herzlieb  did  in  the  play." 

"  Oh,  Nan,  did  I  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  for  you  gave  her  such  a  wonder- 
ful pleasure.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  her 
great  eyes  and  her  happy  little  face.  She  will 
remember  this  afternoon  all  her  life,  I  am  sure. 
Aunt  Helen  and  I  talked  to  her  as  we  were 
coming  out,  and  we  are  going  to  find  out  more 
about  her.  Her  mother  is  dead  and  she  doesn't 
know  where  her  father  is.  She  lives  with  an 
aunt  who  has  a  great  many  children  and  I  think 
must  be  very  poor." 

"  Maybe  she  is  the  switch  woman." 


256  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Very  likely.  At  any  rate  we  shall  find  out 
soon,  and  we  are  going  to  see  about  a  jolly  good 
Christmas  for  them  all.  Do  you  remember  last 
year  and  little  Christine  ?  You  did  that,  too, 
little  Princess  Heartlove.  Your  old  Nan  under- 
stands, doesn't  she?  I  know  you  can't  help 
being  half  sorry,  but  when  you  see  how  it  will 
all  turn  out  for  Bertha,  you  will  be  glad  you 
served  without  speaking." 

"  You  are  so  nice,  Nan,"  said  Jack,  giving 
her  sister  a  close  hug.  "  You  always  do  under- 
stand, and  you  never  think  I  am  half  as  bad  as 
other  people  think." 

"  You  are  anything  but  bad.  Sometimes  you 
do  thoughtless  things,  but  you  don't  really 
mean  to  be  naughty." 

"  I  forget." 

"  I  know  you  do,  and  after  a  while  you  will 
learn  to  remember.  You  don't  do  half  as  many 
wrong  things  as  you  used  to.  I  know  some- 
thing else  ;  I  know  if  you  hadn't  spent  your 
money  for  Jean's  doll  you  would  have  had 
enough  to  buy  a  ticket  for  Bertha  and  could 
have  kept  your  own." 

"  How  did  you  know  ? "  said  Jack  a  little 
embarrassed. 

"  Because  I  know  what  your  allowance  is, 
and  I  know  you  had  only  a  tiny  bit  left  after 
you  bought  the  doll." 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     257 

"  I  had  just  car  fare  to  take  me  home." 

"  Exactly  what  I  thought.  Any  one  of  us 
older  ones  would  have  been  glad  to  help  you 
out,  but  like  the  reckless  little  body  that  you 
are,  you  rushed  off  and  didn't  give  us  a  chance. 
If  you  had  waited  a  few  minutes  you  might 
have  known  we'd  come  out  to  hunt  you  up." 

"  I  wanted  Bertha  to  have  the  ticket  and  I 
thought  I'd  better  go,  so  she  wouldn't  try  to 
give  it  back  to  me." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  I  know  exactly  why  you  did 
it,  but  next  time  give  the  rest  of  us  a  chance 
too.  We  could  all  have  chipped  in  and  have 
bought  her  a  ticket,  that  is  supposing  there 
were  any  to  be  had.  They  were  very  cheap, 
anyhow,  so  you  could  both  have  had  your 
fun." 

Jack  gave  a  little  sigh.  She  realized  that  she 
had  rather  overstepped  the  mark  in  her  effort 
to  be  generous,  but  now  she  did  not  regret  it, 
for  Jean  had  only  seen  a  Princess  Herzlieb,  and 
Nan  had  said  she  was  one  herself ;  that  was 
much  better,  and  Nan  had  missed  her,  whether 
any  one  else  did  or  not.  It  was  worth  while  to 
have  done  something  that  no  one  else  had 
thought  of  doing,  and  for  which  Nan  had  praised 
her. 

True  to  their  word  Miss  Helen  and  Nan  did 
go  to  hunt  up  Bertha  Metzger,  and  found  that 


258  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

she  really  did  live  with  the  switch-tender  in  a 
little  back  street.  The  place  was  poor  but 
respectable  enough.  Frau  Pfeffer,  the  aunt, 
worked  very  hard  to  support  her  five  small 
children  and  Bertha,  too,  and  it  was  hard  to 
earn  enough  for  food  and  clothing  for  all. 
Bertha's  father  had  suddenly  disappeared,  and 
had  not  been  heard  of  for  a  long  time.  He  had 
been  nearly  crazed  by  the  loss  of  his  wife,  and 
about  the  same  time  had  lost  his  place  in  a  fac- 
tory. Frau  Pfeffer,  herself,  had  come  from  the 
country  after  the  death  of  her  husband  and  had 
tried  to  find  her  brother,  whom  she  believed  to 
be  in  Munich,  but  had  not  been  able  to  learn 
anything  about  him.  He  had  gone  away  to 
look  for  work,  his  neighbors  said,  and  had  prom- 
ised to  return  for  his  little  girl  whom  he  had  sent 
to  her  aunt. 

There  was  nothing  of  the  whining  beggar 
about  Frau  Pfeffer.  She  told  her  tale  simply  as 
a  matter  of  course,  and  did  not  hint  at  her  needs. 
She  worked  hard,  but  not  so  hard  as  many  oth- 
ers, for  she  could  sit  down  much  of  the  time, 
and  though  it  was  often  cold,  still  that  was  noth- 
ing when  one  was  used  to  it,  and  she  consid- 
ered herself  very  fortunate  to  have  the  work  to 
do.  Bertha  could  help  a  great  deal.  She  was 
to  be  relied  upon,  and  did  not  let  the  children 
get  into  any  harm.  The  father's  name  was 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     259 

Hans  Metzger,  and  she  was  sure  if  he  were  alive 
he  would  come  back. 

The  conversation  was  not  carried  on  without 
some  difficulty,  for  Frau  Pfeffer's  Bavarian  dia- 
lect was  hard  to  understand,  and  Miss  Helen 
was  not  very  proficient  in  German.  Nan  had  a 
better  command  of  the  language  and  was  very 
quick,  but  even  she  found  herself  at  a  loss  for  a 
word  very  often,  and  oftener  still,  could  not  dis- 
tinguish what  Frau  Pfeffer  was  saying. 

Miss  Helen  and  Nan  walked  home  together 
after  their  visit,  coming  through  an  old  part  of 
the  city,  and  happening  upon  various  curious  cor- 
ners where  old  painted  houses  faced  them,  and 
where  the  crooked  streets  would  have  misled 
them  if  they  had  not  carried  a  map.  As  they 
went  along  they  planned  what  they  should  do 
for  the  Pfeffer  family.  Every  Christmas  for  sev- 
eral years  the  Corners  had  tried  to  help  some 
one  who  needed  assistance,  and  they  had  been 
most  fortunate  in  their  efforts.  The  sad  little 
picture  of  a  forlorn  child  offering  one  meagre 
candle  and  a  few  broken  flowers  as  a  decoration 
for  her  mother's  grave  on  All  Saints  day  had 
moved  them,  although  it  was  Jack  who  had 
really  done  the  most  to  awaken  the  interest  of 
the  others.  Jack,  whom  one  would  never  suspect 
of  such  things,  and  who  had  given  her  family 
more  anxiety  and  care  than  all  the  rest  put  to- 


260  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

gather,  yet  it  was  she  who,  the  year  before,  had 
given  her  Christmas  stocking  to  a  little  lame 
girl  in  New  York,  for  with  all  her  thoughtless- 
ness and  her  capacity  for  getting  into  scrapes, 
hers  was  the  warmest  heart  of  all. 

That  same  day  Dr.  Woods  came  in,  and  was 
told  the  story  which  was  at  the  moment  the 
most  interesting  theme  of  conversation.  He, 
too,  thought  it  a  case  which  should  be  given 
attention.  "  What  we  want  to  do,"  Nan  told 
him,  "  is  to  find  the  father.  Frau  Pfeffer  is  quite 
sure  he  will  return,  but  he  may  not  be  alive, 
though  she  firmly  believes  he  is." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  help  there,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  What  is  his  name  ?  " 

"  Hans  Metzger." 

"  Where  was  he  last  seen  ?  "  Dr.  Woods  took 
out  his  note-book. 

"  He  left  Munich  to  find  work." 

"  Do  you  know  where  he  intended  to  go  ?  " 

"  No,  but  perhaps  his  neighbors  would  know." 

"  I  will  inquire.  Can  you  tell  me  what  was 
his  last  address  ?  " 

"  I  can  give  you  his  sister's.  No  doubt  she 
will  know  where  he  lived  last" 

"  That  will  do.  All  right.  I  will  start  up  a 
line  of  investigation  at  once.  Perhaps  among 
us  all,  we  may  get  hold  of  a  clue.  And  how 
goes  the  German,  Nan  ?  " 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     261 

"It  is  a  fearsome  language,"  said  Nan  sol- 
emnly. "  I  wish  you  could  have  heard  me  trying 
to  make  Frau  Pfeffer  understand  me,  though  I 
think  I  struggled  harder,  if  anything,  to  under- 
stand her.  Such  a  dialect !  I  don't  see  how 
they  make  it  out  themselves,  and  I  don't  see, 
either,  how  they  master  the  German  pure  and 
— no,  I  can't  say  simple,  for  it  is  exactly  the 
opposite." 

"  I  admit  it  is  pretty  hard,  and  if  I  hadn't 
tackled  it  early,  I  would  be  in  a  regular  fuddle 
now.  But  I  took  my  grasp  young,  and  have 
managed  to  hold  on,  as  you  will  do." 

"  I  don't  know.  I  like  French,  or  any  of  the 
Latin  languages  better." 

"  Yet  there  is  a  sort  of  rugged  dignity  about 
German  which  is  very  attractive.  Its  literature 
is  very  rich." 

"  I  suppose  so,  and  I  may  find  its  attractions 
later,  but  not  when  I  am  stumbling  into  pitfalls 
caused  by  declensions  and  constructions." 

"  If  I  can  help  you  out  at  any  time,  don't  fail 
to  press  me  into  service." 

"  I  may  keep  you  to  that  offer." 

The  other  girls,  including  Juliet  Hoyt,  con- 
sidered Dr.  Paul  much  too  elderly  to  be  inter- 
esting, and  at  his  appearance  generally  betook 
themselves  to  the  Hoyts'  rooms,  where  the  more 
frivolous  company  of  schoolboys  suited  their 


262  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

tastes.  Nan,  therefore,  was  often  left  to  do  the 
honors  if  her  mother  and  aunt  were  not  at  hand, 
and  Nan,  be  it  said,  did  not  consider  it  a  hard- 
ship, for  she  liked  Dr.  Paul,  and  often  when 
Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss  Helen  returned  from  an 
early  concert  they  would  find  the  two  laughing 
and  talking  together  most  happily.  Nan  liked 
the  Hoyts  and  enjoyed  the  nonsense  which 
went  on  in  their  sitting-room  where  there  were 
seldom  less  than  two  or  three  boys,  but  her  love 
of  music  was  too  real  for  her  not  wanting  to 
escape  from  a  series  of  dances  banged  out  to 
rag-time  measure. 

"  It  is  more  than  I  can  stand,"  she  told  Dr. 
Paul.  "A  little  rag-time  is  jolly  enough,  and 
I  am  not  so  superior  as  to  despise  it  altogether, 
but  a  whole  evening  of  it  is  more  than  I  can 
stand." 

"  Yet  even  that  is  better  than  some  other 
kinds,"  responded  Dr.  Paul.  "There  happens 
to  be  a  man  at  our  pension  who  at  home  has 
the  reputation  of  being  an  accomplished  musi- 
cian because  he  professes  to  play  classical  music. 
He  comes  from  some  small  town,  and  his  com- 
panions are  evidently  not  among  the  elect.  He 
does  play  execrably.  I  wish  you  could  hear 
him." 

"I  don't,"  interrupted  Nan  laughing.  "I 
know  the  kind.  I  suppose  he  will  keep  right 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     263 

on  for  the  rest  of  his  life  as  he  has  begun,  vary- 
ing his  performance  sometimes  by  bringing  in 
a  bit  of  improvisation,  terrible  improvisation 
which  has  no  rhyme,  reason,  melody  or  any- 
thing else.  I  know  such  a  person  who  blandly 
told  me  she  sometimes  altered  Chopin  and 
Beethoven  to  suit  herself.  Fancy  !  Oh,  I  know 
your  man  will  cheerfully  keep  on,  not  knowing 
the  difference  between  good  music  and  bad, 
and  because  he  has  always  associated  with  rag- 
time people  who  think  any  one  who  plays 
anything  heavier  than  Hiawatha  must  have  a 
standard  so  high  that  ordinary  mortals  cannot 
venture  to  criticise  the  performance." 

"  I  perceive  you  are  acquainted  with  the 
species.  Yet,  after  all,  I  sometimes  think  it  is 
a  pity  to  know  too  much  about  music,  for  one 
certainly  has  a  narrower  range  of  enjoyment." 

"  But  think  of  the  quality  of  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  is  really  more  than  that  of  a 
man  I  used  to  know  at  college  who  would  say, 
'  Give  me  a  bag  of  peanuts  and  an  interesting 
book  and  I'll  enjoy  myself.'  Why,  I  read  half 
of  '  Les  Miserables '  at  one  sitting." 

"  For  peanuts  read  candy,  and  you  will  have 
about  the  speech  of  a  schoolmate  of  mine." 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  up  counterpoint  and 
thorough-bass  ?  "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Dear  me,  no.     I  don't  aspire  to  composi- 


264  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

tion.  If  I  overcome  technique  and  get  in  a 
little  harmony  I  shall  be  doing  well.  I  am 
doing  intricate  Bach  things  now,  but  I  have  an 
inspiring  teacher  and  I  don't  mind  the  hard 
work.  You  should  hear  her  play.  Talk  of 
temperament !  I  never  saw  anything  like  her." 

"  And  I  fancy  Miss  Nan  Corner  is  not  lack- 
ing in  that  particular." 

"  I  believe  Mr.  Harmer  used  to  think  so,  but 
I  feel  like  a  very  automaton  compared  to  Frau 
Burg-Schmidt" 

"  I  haven't  heard  you  play  since  you  were  at 
home  last  winter,  but " 

"  Then  you  wouldn't  let  me  practice ;  you 
told  me  to  frivol,  I  remember." 

"  You  needed  to  frivol  then.  That  is  where 
it  was  a  time  to  quench  the  fires  of  genius." 

"  I  believe  I  have  felt  years  older  since  that 
experience,"  said  Nan  thoughtfully,  "  and  I  am 
sure  it  is  why  mother  does  not  want  to  leave 
us  alone  again.  I  believe  you  had  something 
to  say  to  that,  too,  Dr.  Paul." 

"You  mustn't  expect  me  to  give  away  the 
secrets  of  my  profession." 

"Then  it  is  about  the  only  thing  you  aren't 
willing  to  give  away,"  returned  Nan  laughing. 

"  Do  you  like  stingy  people  ?  " 

"  Ask  a  Virginian  that  ?  Dear  me,  what  are 
you  thinking  of  ?  No,  I  suppose  I  am  lacking 


The  Fairy  Play  and  Its  Consequences     265 

in  a  proper  admiration  for  thrift  when  I  say  that 
I  would  rather  that  a  person  were  too  extrava- 
gant than  parsimonious." 

"  I  shall  never  be  a  rich  man,  I  am  afraid," 
said  the  doctor  with  a  half  sigh. 

"  Comfort  yourself  with  thinking  about  the 
deceitfulness  of  riches,  and  keep  on  being  the 
generous  man  your  father  is,  and  you  will  be 
all  right.  Listen  to  my  grandmotherly  advice 
and  remember  that  I  have  three  younger  sisters 
to  deal  with." 

"  And  I  have  none." 

"  Then  consider  that  Nan  Corner  is  ready  to 
be  as  sisterly  as  she  knows  how,  for  any  better 
big  brother  than  you  are  to  us  all,  I  do  not  care 
to  see.  Here  come  mother  and  Aunt  Helen." 

"And  you  have  not  played  for  me." 

"  You  must  wait  till  my  joints  are  so  limber 
that  I  can  make  my  fingers  form  a  right  angle 
with  the  back  of  my  hand ;  that  is  what  I  am 
aiming  at  now." 

Then  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss  Helen  came  in 
and  the  doctor  went  forward  to  meet  them. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
"  STILLE  NACHT 


CHAPTER  XIV 

"STILLE  NACHT" 

THAT  Christmas  was  very  near  at  hand  was 
apparent  by  more  than  one  outward  and  visible 
sign.  "  Though  they  don't  begin  to  prepare 
for  it  nearly  as  early  as  we  do,"  remarked  Mary 
Lee. 

"  I  think  it  is  nicer  not  to,"  said  Jack,  "  for 
there  they  begin  so  soon  that  it  fools  you  into 
thinking  it  is  very  near  when  it  is  weeks  off, 
and  you  get  so  used  to  seeing  Christmas  things 
that  you  forget  they  aren't  there  all  the  time." 

"  The  first  thing  we  must  do  to  make  us  feel 
that  Christmas  is  coming  is  to  see  the  krippen" 
said  Miss  Helen. 

"  What  are  krippen  ?  "  asked  Jean. 

"  They  are  representations  of  the  Nativity, 
generally,  though  sometimes  they  represent 
other  religious  subjects  such  as  the  Flight  into 
Egypt,  or  the  heralding  angels  appearing  to  the 
shepherds.  They  are  often  very  elaborate,  and 
the  best  display  of  them  is  at  the  National 
Museum,  where  you  can  see  fac-similes  not 
only  of  German  krippen  but  of  Italian  and  Sicil- 
ian ones.  The  different  churches  also  have 


270  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

them.  There  is  one  of  the  Advent  now  at  the 
Theatinerkirche.  You  twins  will  be  delighted 
with  the  little  figures  which  are  sometimes  really 
wonderful." 

They  all  started  out  the  very  next  day  to 
view  the  krippen,  stopping  first  at  St.  Cajetans- 
Hofkirche  on  the  Theatinerstrasse,  where  the 
children  stood  in  awe  and  delight  before  the 
scene  of  John  the  Baptist  preaching  the  coming 
of  our  Lord.  The  tiny  figures  were  very 
perfect,  the  centurion  soldiers  and  listening 
multitude  were  artistically  grouped,  a  little 
brook  of  running  water  made  a  pleasant  mur- 
mur as  it  wound  its  way  along.  It  was  not 
more  than  four  inches  wide,  but  it  added  much 
to  the  scene.  The  whole  was  lighted  and  stood 
out  in  strong  contrast  to  the  dim  church  in 
which  it  was  enshrined.  As  Miss  Helen  dropped 
some  pfennige  into  the  cup  ready  for  contribu- 
tions a  sepulchral  voice  in  some  dark  corner 
murmured  :  "  Gott sei dank" 

Through  the  lower  rooms  of  the  Museum, 
where  it  was  impossible  not  to  linger  a  little  to 
see  the  many  curious  and  interesting  things, 
the  party  took  its  way  to  the  upper  floor,  where 
through  a  dark  labyrinthine  way  they  passed 
to  find  the  lighted  krippen  set  up  on  each  side. 
There  were  a  great  many,  and  it  took  a  long 
time  to  make  the  rounds.  Some  were  quite 


THE  CHILDREN  STOOD  IN  AWE  AND  DELIGHT  AT  THE  KIPPEN. 


"Stille  Nacht 


271 


simple;  others  were  very  elaborate.  There 
were  street  scenes  with  every  conceivable  sort 
of  figure,  wonderful  interiors  and  exteriors 
where  the  Wise  Men  were  shown  in  all  the 
pomp  of  Eastern  magnificence ;  there  were 
gardens  and  palaces,  temples  and  churches, 
processions,  and,  above  all,  the  rude  stable  with 
the  manger  and  the  Holy  Family. 

"  They  are  the  most  marvellous  things  I  ever 
saw,"  said  first  one  and  then  another  of  the 
girls.  "Such  perfect  little  figures,  such  fasci- 
nating landscapes,  such  variety  of  expression 
and  action,  such  typical  costumes." 

"  The  Sicilian  ones  are  the  best,"  decided 
Nan,  "  though  those  of  southern  Italy  are  about 
as  good." 

"  I  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  anything," 
declared  Jo,  as  they  came  to  the  last  one. 
"You  are  a  duck,  Miss  Helen,  to  think  of 
bringing  us  here.  I  am  going  to  haunt  the 
churches  from  now  on  to  see  how  many  krippen 
I  can  discover." 

"  Oh,  can't  we  go  back  and  do  it  all  over  ?  " 
asked  Jean. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "  I  thought  we 
had  made  a  very  careful  examination  of  them  all." 

"  But  I  do  like  them  so  much  and  I  can't 
remember  them  all  by  seeing  them  just  once." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  come  again,"  her  mother 


272  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

comforted  her  by  saying.  "  I  think  this  must 
do  for  now,  and  there  will  be  others  in  the 
churches." 

"They  will  be  changed  quite  often  at  the 
Theatinerkirche,  I  am  told,"  said  Miss  Helen. 
"  I  believe  there  is  a  new  krippe  each  week." 

"  Oh,  there  comes  a  new  word.  I  suppose 
krippe  is  the  singular  and  krippen  the  plural," 
said  Mary  Lee. 

"  Naturally.  The  word  I  find  means  literally 
a  manger.  We  can  see  a  very  interesting  dis- 
play of  krippen,  Christmas  ornaments  and  such 
things  down  on  Sonnenstrasse  and  the  Send- 
lingeethorplatz.  The  peasants  make  the  little 
krippen  and  bring  them  in  for  sale  just  before 
Christmas." 

"  Oh,  do  they  have  them  anywhere  but  in  the 
churches?" 

"  Yes,  indeed.  A  great  many  private  houses 
have  them  and  they  are  considered  quite  as 
much  an  institution  in  some  families  as  the 
Christmas  tree,  though  of  course,  these  would 
be  the  Roman  Catholic  families.  You  can  see 
them  of  all  sorts  and  sizes.  Munich  is  Roman 
Catholic,  you  know,  although  there  are  many 
Protestants  here  and  many  Protestant  churches." 

"  I  should  love  to  have  a  krippe  to  take  home 
even  if  I  am  not  a  Roman  Catholic,  mother," 
said  Jean.  "  Couldn't  we  have  one  ?  " 


"Stille  Nacht"  273 

"  I  don't  see  any  reason  for  not  having  one, 
although  it  would  be  rather  hard  to  pack.  We 
will  see  about  it." 

"  And  may  we  go  this  afternoon  to  look  at 
them  ?  " 

"  Haven't  you  had  enough  krippen  for  one 
day  ?  I  think  we'd  better  wait  especially  as  the 
choice  will  be  better  a  little  later  on,"  her  aunt 
told  her. 

The  Christmas  trees  were  arriving,  and  as  the 
party  proceeded  homeward  they  saw  them  be- 
ing set  up  in  their  little  stands,  in  every  square 
and  open  space. 

"  They  do  everything  here  in  such  a  nice 
pleasant  way,"  said  Nan,  as  she  and  her  aunt 
walked  through  the  forest  of  trees  standing 
erect  all  along  the  Maximilianplatz.  "  At  home 
now,  they  throw  the  trees  in  a  pile  or  crowd 
them  together  in  any  old  place.  Here  each  tree 
looks  as  if  it  were  really  growing,  and  that  this 
were  an  avenue  of  them  growing  just  for  Christ- 
mas. You  can  so  easily  see  exactly  how  they 
look  and  can  pick  out  what  you  like  without 
any  trouble.  How  good  and  Christmassy  it 
smells,  and  what  quantities  of  trees  there  are, 
then  there  are  more  coming.  Can  they  sell  so 
many,  I  wonder  ?  The  whole  city  seems  to  be 
full  of  them." 

"  When  you  consider  that  nearly  every  family 


274  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

in  Munich  will  probably  have  a  tree,  you  can 
imagine  the  number  will  be  somewhat  lessened 
by  Christmas  Eve."  And  true  enough,  as  it 
proved,  there  was  scarcely  a  tree  left,  at  least 
on  the  Maximilianplatz,  by  the  day  before 
Christmas.  More  than  one  of  the  number  went 
to  the  Pension  Bauer,  and  one  was  purchased 
for  the  family  of  Frau  Pfeffer. 

Before  this,  however,  there  was  the  expedition 
to  Sonnenstrasse  to  see  the  collection  of  Christ- 
mas-tree ornaments,  krippen  and  such  things 
which  the  country  folk  had  brought  for  sale, 
and  which  were  set  out  in  small  booths  all  along 
the  street.  Jean's  fancy  fell  upon  a  tiny  krippe 
which  she  and  Jack  bore  away  in  triumph. 

The  days  were  very  short  and  sunless,  so  that 
nightfall  came  very  early,  but  in  spite  of  that 
the  streets  were  full  of  people  who  filled  the  big 
shops,  or  loitered  along  the  streets,  stopping 
leisurely  before  the  windows  to  look  in,  and  be- 
cause it  seemed  the  general  custom  for  every 
one  to  go  out  as  soon  as  it  got  dark,  the  Corner 
family  followed  suit. 

"  I  suppose  they  do  it  to  save  candles,"  said 
Miss  Helen.  "  There  is  German  thrift  for  you." 

"  I  think  it  is  great  fun,"  said  Nan.  "  Why 
shouldn't  they  come  out  and  look  at  the  pretty 
things  ?  The  shop-windows  are  very  attractive 
especially  now,  and  some  of  the  things  are  very 


"Stille  Nacht"  275 

cheap.  I  saw  a  fascinating  silver  chain  on  Son- 
nenstrasse,  and  it  was  ever  so  much  cheaper 
than  in  other  shops  in  more  fashionable  parts  of 
the  city.  It  is  much  handsomer,  too.  Jo  and 
I  gloated  over  that  window." 

"  That  was  the  one  from  which  we  had  such 
difficulty  in  dragging  you,  wasn't  it?" 

"  Yes,  we  saw  so  many  pretty  cheap  things 
there,  and  we  wanted  to  buy  them  every  one. 
I'd  love  to  give  Jo  that  chain." 

"  How  about  giving  it  to  Nan  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it's  too  expensive  to  give  myself  when 
all  I  can  rake  and  scrape  must  go  toward  buy- 
ing other  things.  If  I  can't  get  that  special 
chain  for  Jo,  there  is  another  that  I  think  will 
come  within  my  limit  and  which  she  likes  quite 
as  well.  Don't  you  love  the  way  the  men  come 
sauntering  along  and  stand  before  the  windows  ? 
It  gives  one  such  a  sense  of  leisure  and  real  en- 
joyment of  life  to  see  them  go  dawdling  about. 
That  one  we  just  passed  is  going  to  give  his 
wife  furs  for  Christmas,  I  know.  He  is  looking 
at  every  piece  in  that  window  with  a  critical  eye. 
Oh,  Aunt  Helen,  do  look.  Did  you  ever  see  any- 
thing quite  like  that  ?  A  huge  sausage  dressed 
up  with  a  huge  satin  bow,  red  satin  at  that,  and 
there  is  a  boiled  ham  pranked  out  with  blue  rib- 
bons and  artificial  flowers.  Truly  schinken  and 
wurst  are  dear  to  the  German  heart" 


276  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

They  were  coming  around  by  the  Karlsthor 
to  enter  one  of  the  big  department  stores  where 
Nan  had  seen  a  certain  book  she  wanted  to  get. 
"  I  would  like  you  to  see  if  you  don't  think  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  to  give  to  Dr.  Paul,"  she 
said  to  her  aunt.  "  He  has  been  so  kind  and 
good  in  so  many  ways,  just  like  a  big  brother. 
I  must  give  him  something,  and  as  he  is  very 
fond  of  dogs  I  thought  I  would  get  that  funny 
book  of  dachshunds  for  him." 

Miss  Helen  agreed  that  this  would  answer 
admirably. 

"  There  are  some  dear  little  pieces  of  peasant 
pottery  out  on  Turkenstrasse,"  Nan  went  on. 
"  I  think  they  are  lovely.  On  the'next  street  to 
the  pottery  shop  are  some  queer  wooden  boxes 
which  are  made  by  the  peasants,  too.  I  want 
two  or  three  of  them.  One  I  shall  give  to  Juliet 
Hoyt,  and  a  little  jar  to  Mrs.  Hoyt.  I  haven't 
decided  what  I  shall  give  to  Maurice." 

"You  certainly  are  rinding  out  all  the  odd 
corners  and  out-of-the-way  shops,"  said  her 
aunt. 

"  I  snoop  around  when  I  am  coming  home 
from  my  lessons,  and  Frau  Burg-Schmidt  told 
me  about  the  boxes." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  them,  myself." 

They  decided  that  they  would  have  time  to 
hunt  up  the  two  shops,  and  continued  their 


"Stille  Nacht" 


277 


walk,  coming  home  with  mysterious  packages 
which  they  refused  to  show  to  any  one,  and 
which  they  promptly  stowed  away  with  their 
other  Christmas  purchases. 

From  this  out  there  was  much  whispering  and 
many  remarks,  such  as  :  "  Nan  and  I  are  going 
out  together  this  afternoon  ;  you  needn't  come, 
Jean."  Or,  "  Mother,  would  you  mind  not  go- 
ing with  us  to-day?"  But  there  were  other 
times  when  all  must  go  together  to  select  what 
was  intended  for  Bertha  Metzger  and  her  little 
cousins.  After  talking  the  matter  over  Mrs. 
Corner  and  Miss  Helen  decided  that  it  would 
be  better  for  the  girls  to  contribute  from  their 
regular  Christmas  money,  and  not  receive  any 
extra  amount.  "  They  will  be  much  happier 
knowing  the  joy  of  sacrifice,"  Mrs.  Corner  said. 
"  They  are  perfectly  willing  to  go  without  a 
tree  for  themselves  if  we  will  furnish  one  for  the 
Pfeflers,  and  each  has  agreed  to  be  entirely 
satisfied  with  a  modest  present  from  her  sisters, 
so  as  to  have  more  to  spend  for  Bertha." 

"You  are  a  wise  mother,  Mary,"  said  Miss 
Helen.  "  I  am  sure  the  girls  will  enjoy  their 
Christmas  much  more  for  having  to  exercise  a 
little  self-denial.  I  don't  suppose  I  need  be 
limited  in  making  my  gifts,  need  I  ?  "  she  asked 
laughing.  "  You  don't  want  to  discipline  me, 
do  you  ?  " 


278  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  I  don't  believe  you  need  it,"  returned  Mrs. 
Corner  affectionately. 

There  were  many  interviews  with  Frau 
Pfeffer,  and  on  the  morning  before  Christmas 
Eve  all  five  of  the  little  Pfeffers  with  Bertha 
were  sent  to  spend  the  day  with  a  neighbor, 
and  then  the  Corners  took  possession.  The 
tree  was  set  up  and  each  had  a  hand  in  the 
trimming,  the  twins  feeling  very  important,  as 
this  was  the  first  time  in  their  lives  that  they 
had  been  allowed  to  take  part  in  such  a  per- 
formance. When  it  was  finished  they  all  stood 
off  to  see  the  effect  of  their  handiwork. 

"  It's  perfectly  lovely,"  cried  Jack  ecstatically. 
"  I'm  glad  we  made  up  our  minds  to  have  this 
instead  of  one  of  our  own,  for  it  is  much  more 
fun  to  trim  it  for  some  one  else." 

"  The  little  angel  on  top  is  beautiful,"  said 
Jean,  "and  that  star  on  the  very  tip  is  so  bright. 
Yes,  I  am  glad  they  have  the  tree  instead  of  us, 
but  I  am  glad  we  can  have  our  stockings,  Jack." 

Jack  agreed  that  she  would  not  like  to  give 
up  the  fun  of  hanging  up  her  stocking,  and 
they  stood  looking  at  the  tree  while  Nan,  Mary 
Lee  and  Jo  were  arranging  the  Christmas  pack- 
ages. Besides  the  warm  clothes  for  each  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  there  were  toys  and  a  basket 
of  substantial  food. 

"  Do  put  in  something  sweet  and  unwhole- 


"Stille  Nacht" 


279 


some,"  Nan  had  begged  when  her  mother  and 
aunt  were  packing  the  basket. 

"  Need  it  be  unwholesome  because  it  is 
sweet  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Corner  laughing.  "  If  they 
don't  eat  too  much  at  once,  I  am  sure  it  need 
not  be." 

"  And  please  don't  say  we  have  given  foolish 
things  to  the  children,"  Nan  went  on.  "  The 
clothes  are  very  important,  but  after  what  you 
and  Mrs.  Hoyt  have  given  we  think  they  ought 
to  have  toys.  They  are  so  cheap  that  they  can 
have  a  lot.  We  have  only  one  apiece  from 
each  of  us." 

"  I  don't  think  that  will  be  too  many,"  Mrs. 
Corner  decided.  "  They  will  enjoy  a  few  much 
more  than  an  overabundance." 

So  the  foolish  toys  were  added,  and  stood  in 
proper  array  with  the  more  sensible  gifts. 

Railway  switches  must  be  turned  even  on 
Christmas  Day,  but  Frau  Pfeffer  had  a  substi- 
tute on  Christmas  Eve,  and  could  joyfully  cele- 
brate that  holiday  dear  to  the  German  nation. 
It  was  scarcely  less  dear  to  the  party  of  Amer- 
icans who  gathered  in  Pension  Bauer.  That 
they  might  have  more  to  spend  on  the  Pfeffers 
they  had  agreed  not  to  invest  more  than  fifty 
pfennige  on  any  but  the  Pfeffers.  outside  their 
own  families,  and  it  had  been  great  fun  to  see 
what  could  be  had  for  the  small  sum  of  twelve 


280  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

cents.  But  Munich  was  full  of  cheap  and  pretty 
articles,  and  the  assortment  was  varied,  Nan's 
peasant  boxes  and  jars  showing  up  finely. 
These  presents  were  to  be  distributed  on  Christ- 
mas Eve,  German  fashion,  while  the  family 
were  to  have  their  own  celebration  on  Christmas 
morning,  as  they  always  did  at  home. 

"  You  can't  come  into  the  sitting-room,!'  said 
Miss  Helen  speaking  through  a  crack  in  the 
door  as  the  children  returned  from  their  morn- 
ing at  Frau  Pfeffer's. 

"  You  can't  come  in  here,"  called  Mrs.  Hoyt 
poking  her  head  out  of  the  room  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  hallway. 

"  Dear  me  I  Where  can  we  go  ?  What 
secrets ! "  cried  they  all,  only  too  glad  there 
were  such.  "  I  suppose  we  can  go  into  our 
own  rooms,"  said  Nan.  "  Come  on,  girls." 

The  odor  of  kuchen  filled  the  air,  and  there 
was  an  excitement  in  the  frequent  scurryings  to 
and  fro  of  the  maids. 

"  Who  all  are  coming  to-night  to  help  you 
celebrate  ?  "  asked  Juliet  Hoyt  who  joined  the 
others  in  Nan's  room  after  the  work  of  tying 
up  packages  was  finished,  and  it  was  nearing 
supper  time. 

"  Dr.  Woods  ;  I  think  that  is  all,"  Mary  Lee 
told  her.  "  You  see  we  are  quite  a  party  in 
ourselves,  seven  in  all,  and  he  will  make  eight." 


"Stille  Nacht"  281 

"Four  of  Maurice's  friends  are  coming," 
Juliet  said,  "so  we  shall  be  seven  ;  that  makes 
fifteen  in  all.  Not  a  small  number  of  Americans 
to  get  together.  Of  course  Fraulein  Bauer  will 
have  a  tree.  She  has  asked  us  all  to  come  and 
see  it,  and  she  has  been  baking  wonderful  things, 
the  maids  say.  Those  silly  boys,  I  know,  have 
been  spending  every  penny  of  their  allowances 
on  us." 

"  They  shouldn't  do  it,"  said  Nan  severely. 
"  We  have  only  fifty  pfennig  e  presents  for  them." 

"  They  would  do  it.  Mamma  tried  to  reason 
with  them,  but  it  was  no  use,  and  I  suppose  we 
shall  be  deluged  with  candy,  flowers  and  books. 
Mamma  laid  down  the  law  and  told  them  we 
would  positively  accept  no  other  kind  of  gift, 
and  that  she  would  countenance  no  extrava- 
gance." 

"  I  am  glad  she  did,"  said  Nan.  "  It  would 
be  very  embarrassing  if  they  gave  any  of  us 
handsome  gifts." 

"It  is  sort  of  fun  to  be  in  here  talking  about 
boys,"  remarked  Jo.  "  It  reminds  me  of  our 
boarding-school  days.  I  declare  I  could  eat 
something  good  and  homey  this  minute.  It 
seems  hours  since  we  had  dinner,  and  I  have 
had  a  long  walk  since." 

Nan  jumped  down  from  the  bed,  where  she 
was  sitting  with  her  feet  curled  under  her,  and 


282  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

fumbled  among  some  packages  in  a  drawer, 
presently  bringing  out  a  bag  which  she  tossed 
over  to  Jo.  "  There,"  she  said,  "  that's  all  you'll 
get.  You  must  save  up  for  this  evening  for  we 
are  going  to  have  an  extra  fine  supper." 

Jo  opened  the  bag,  fished  out  a  pretzel  and 
began  to  nibble  it.  "Just  the  thing  to  keep  me 
occupied,"  she  said,  "  and  yet  not  too  sustaining. 
Shouldn't  you  like  to  see  the  little  Pfeffers  when 
they  discover  the  tree?  " 

"  And  Bertha,"  put  in  Jack. 

"  Bertha,  of  course ;  she  counts  in  with  the 
rest." 

"  Frau  Pfeffer  was  so  excited  that  I  am  sure 
she  has  been  sending  cars  off  on  the  wrong 
track  all  day,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"  She  is  to  leave  at  six  and  it  is  that  now," 
said  Nan.  "  Dear  me,  it  seems  much  later  for 
it  has  been  dark  so  long.  I  wonder  what  she 
will  do  first,  look  at  her  presents  or  light  up  the 
tree." 

"  The  first  thing  she  will  probably  get  some- 
thing to  eat,  for  she  will  be  hungry,  and  so  will 
the  children.  I  suppose  Bertha  and  the  five 
will  be  standing  waiting  outside  when  she  gets 
there,"  Mary  Lee  decided. 

"  But  will  she  let  them  in  till  the  tree  is 
lighted  ? "  said  Jack.  "  It  would  be  so  much 
more  of  a  surprise," 


"Stille  Nacht"  283 

"  We  shall  find  out  to-morrow,  for  I  am  sure 
we  shall  see  some  of  them,"  said  Nan.  "  It  is 
really  Christmas  Eve  for  it  is  as  dark  as  a  pocket. 
Don't  let's  have  any  light.  Froliche  Weih- 
nacht,  girls  !  Now  let's  be  cozy  and  do  some- 
thing to  suit  the  season  till  we  are  called  to  sup- 
per. Jo,  you're  nearest  the  stove,  just  put  a 
shovel  or  two  of  coal  on  that  fire,  so  we  can  be 
good  and  warm.  I  don't  think  it  has  died  down 
entirely." 

Jo  opened  the  door  of  the  great  tiled  affair 
which  stood  in  the  corner,  and  peeped  in.  "  I 
think  there  is  enough  left  to  start  up  again,"  she 
said  as  she  threw  on  a  few  shovelfuls  of  coal. 
"  I  used  to  stand  in  such  awe  of  these  great 
porcelain  stoves,  or  ovens,  as  they  call  them 
here,  but  they  are  not  so  bad,  and  when  I  get 
home  I  shall  deny  the  report  that  one  cannot 
keep  warm  in  winter  anywhere  in  Europe.  I'm 
sure  we  have  been  warm  enough.  There,  it  is 
going  ahead  splendidly.  What  shall  we  do  to 
be  in  keeping  with  Christmas  Eve  ?  " 

"  Suppose  we  sing  Stille  Nacht,"  suggested 
Juliet.  And  they  began  the  good  old  German 
Christmas  hymn,  their  young  voices  sounding 
sweetly  to  those  busy  in  the  next  room.  Then, 
as  if  answering,  from  the  street  below  a  band 
struck  up  the  same  air.  The  hymn  was  scarcely 
finished  before  Anna  came  along  the  corridor, 


284  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

knocking  at  each  door  to  say  :  "  Zu  tisch,  biite" 
and  they  trooped  out  to  the  feast  of  good  things 
which  the  Fraulein  had  prepared  for  this  special 
occasion,  and  which  was  served  earlier  than 
usual  since  a  second  supper  would  be  ready 
about  nine  o'clock. 

The  severe  Miss  Smart  from  Chelsea  had  de- 
parted to  spend  the  holiday  in  the  mountains, 
thither,  too,  the  Herr  doctor  and  his  mother  had 
gone,  and  the  jovial  German  was  taking  supper 
with  friends,  so  only  the  American  contingency 
appeared  at  table.  Herr  Eckler  was  to  return 
later,  Fraulein  Bauer  told  them. 

"  When  can  we  go  to  the  sitting-room  ? " 
asked  the  twins  as  they  arose  from  the  table. 

"  In  a  few  minutes,"  Mrs.  Corner  told  them. 

"  You  must  visit  us  when  you  have  exhausted 
your  own  surprises,"  said  Mrs.  Hoyt,  "and  then 
we  will  all  go  and  look  at  the  Fraulein's  tree." 

The  Corner  children  and  Jo  gathered  around 
their  door  on  one  side  the  hallway  ;  Juliet  and 
Maurice  with  the  four  boys,  who  came  in  a 
bunch,  on  the  other  waited  till  at  the  word 
"  Ready  1 "  all  rushed  into  the  rooms  opened  to 
them. 

"  A  tree  after  all !  "  cried  the  twins. 

"  Yes,  it  was  the  good  Fraulein  who  sent  it  in 
all  trimmed,"  Mrs.  Corner  told  them,  "and  she 
has  given  us  each  one  of  these." 


"Stille  Nacht"  285 

"  These  "  proved  to  be  wonderful  gingerbread 
figures  such  as  all  had  seen  in  bakeshop 
windows  for  the  past  fortnight,  and  which  were 
really  marvels  of  the  baker's  art.  Then  came 
the  little  presents  from  the  Hoyts  and  their  boy 
friends.  For  Nan  a  small  glass  with  a  Miinchen 
kindel  upon  it ;  a  little  can  with  the  inscription 
"I  hope  you  will  enjoy  your  can  o'  tea 
{K-no-te}"  this  from  Maurice,  and  from  Juliet  a 
photograph  of  Nan's  favorite  tenor.  For  the 
others  were  various  gifts :  wooden  peasant 
boxes,  little  steins,  queer  figures,  odd  pictures. 
Jean  had  a  whole  German  dinner  in  imitation, 
sausages,  cabbage,  cheese,  fruit  and  cakes  all 
set  on  the  tiniest  of  plates  and  looking  really 
good  enough  to  eat.  The  schoolboys  sent  in 
a  huge  box  of  candies  with  a  ridiculous  little 
piano  for  Nan,  a  tiny  dachshund  for  Mary  Lee,  a 
nest  of  the  funny  figures  they  called  the 
"  Spazieren-gehen  family  "  for  Jo.  An  invitation 
to  a  Christmas  play  at  the  Gartnerplatz  theatre 
signed  by  the  four  boys,  fell  to  Jack's  share, 
while  for  each,  including  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss 
Helen,  were  flowers. 

A  rap  at  the  door  interrupted  the  chatter. 
Juliet  put  in  her  head.  "  Come  over  and  see 
our  show  as  soon  as  you  can,"  she  said.  "  We 
don't  want  to  put  out  the  candles  till  you  come." 
And  all  the  children  followed  her  leaving  their 


286  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

elders  to  extinguish  the  candles  on  their  own 
tree. 

Another  tree  was  lighted  in  the  Hoyts'  room, 
and  other  gingerbread  figures  stood  promi- 
nently forth  ;  the  Fraulein  had  treated  the  Hoyts 
as  generously  as  the  Corners.  More  candy  and 
flowers  from  the  boys,  a  delightfully  funny 
calendar  for  Juliet  and  a  second  nest  of  Spazieren- 
gehen  figures. 

The  boys  were  having  a  great  time  over 
their  own  gifts.  Nan  and  Mary  Lee  had  set 
their  wits  to  work  upon  a  square  wooden  box, 
in  the  centre  of  which  they  had  grouped  four 
tiny  Max  and  Moritz  figures.  These  were 
securely  glued  on,  and  from  each  corner  of  the 
lid  was  a  deeply  grooved  line  burnt  in  the 
white  wood.  The  inscription  read :  "  From 
the  four  Corners  to  the  four  schoolboys."  In- 
side the  box  were  four  rolls  of  the  Christmas 
dainty  known  as  mazapan  which  the  girls  had 
wrapped  up  in  this  brown  paper  to  imitate 
sausages.  This  special  sweet  had  been  lately 
discovered,  and  the  boys  had  all  expressed  a 
wish  to  taste  it. 

"  Such  clever  people,"  said  Henry  Olcott. 
"  We're  going  to  toss  up  for  the  box  and  the 
fellow  who  gets  it  will  be  in  luck,  so  he  will 
have  to  treat  the  rest." 

By  the  time  the  candles  had  burned  down 


"Stillc  Nacht"  287 

came  a  summons  to  the  dining-room.  Another 
tree  met  the  sight  of  the  children,  and  a  table 
set  out  with  cakes  and  a  light  punch.  Herr 
Eckler  had  arrived  and  pretty  soon  all  were 
dancing,  Jack  spinning  around  with  the  portly 
Herr  in  the  roundest  of  round  waltzes  to  the 
music  pounded  out  by  the  Fraulein's  brother. 
Dr.  Woods  arrived  late,  but  joined  in  the  dance, 
and  later  the  whole  party,  except  Mrs.  Corner 
and  the  twins,  went  to  the  solemn  and  beautiful 
service  at  the  Frauenkirche,  a  fitting  close  to  a 
German  Christmas  Eve. 


CHAPTER  XV 
IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN   THE   MOUNTAINS 

"  I  LIKE  my  opera-glasses  and  bag  better 
than  anything,  and  my  lovely  chain  next,"  said 
Nan  sitting  up  in  bed  to  examine  her  presents. 
Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss  Helen  always  breakfasted 
in  their  own  rooms,  and  on  this  occasion  the 
girls  concluded  to  do  the  same,  since  cocoa  and 
rolls  were  not  difficult  to  dispose  of  before  the 
gifts  were  unwrapped. 

"  I  like  my  fairy-tale  book,"  came  a  small 
voice  from  the  next  room. 

"What  do  you  like,  you  Jo  Keyes  over 
there  ? "  Nan  called  out. 

No  reply  came  from  the  head  buried  in  the 
pillow. 

"  Here,  you  Josephine  Schliissel,  are  you 
asleep?  Why  don't  you  speak  up?"  Nan 
picked  up  a  worsted  slipper  and  threw  it  across 
the  room.  The  slipper  landed  on  Jo's  head 
and  she  responded  by  raising  rather  a  teary 
face. 

"  You've  all  been  so  perfectly  lovely  to  me," 
she  said,  "  so  much  lovelier  than  they  ever  are 


292  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

at  home.  Instead  of  just  giving  me  fifty 
pfennige  presents  as  you  ought  to  have  done, 
you've  treated  me  just  as  if  I  were  one  of  you." 

"Well,  you  needn't  cry  about  it,"  said  Nan 
roughly,  herself  quite  overcome  by  this  evidence 
of  feeling  on  Jo's  part.  "  You  are  one  of  us,  of 
course.  Tell  what  you  like  best,  old  girl,  or 
I'll  throw  this  other  slipper  at  you,  and  then  I 
can't  get  up  to-day,  for  I  am  never  going  to 
set  my  feet  on  these  cold  boards." 

"Oh,  my  kodak,  of  course,"  returned  Jo. 
"  It  was  so  dear  of  your  Aunt  Helen  to  give  it 
to  me,  and  it  is  such  a  beauty.  I  have  always 
so  longed  for  one.  Then  that  dear  chain,  Nan, 
you " 

"Time  to  hear  from  you,  Mary  Lee,"  cried 
Nan  interrupting  further  remarks  from  Jo. 
"  What's  your  particular  wanity  ?  " 

Mary  Lee  hesitated  a  moment.  "  I  think  I 
like  the  picture  of  Miss  Dolores  in  her  mania 
de  Manila." 

"  I  knew  you'd  say  that,"  responded  Nan. 
"  I  was  just  waiting  to  hear.  Hallo,  Jack,  in 
there,  why  don't  you  let  us  hear  from  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  coming  in  to  tell  you."  The  answer 
was  prompt,  and  presently  Jack  in  red  wrap- 
per and  slippers  appeared,  stocking  in  hand. 
"  I'll  tell  you,  Nan,  but  I  won't  tell  any  one 
else,"  she  said.  She  came  close  to  the  bed 


In  the  Mountains  293 

and  whispered  something  in  Nan's  ear.  Nan 
laughed.  It  was  her  own  present  to  her  little 
sister  which  was  the  one  preferred.  It  was  a 
cunning  figure  of  an  owl  which  Nan  had 
marked  :  "  The  moping  owl  doth  to  the  moon 
complain."  It  was  like  Jack  to  prefer  this. 
The  owl  was  of  the  porcelain  ware  for  which 
Bavaria  is  well  known,  and  when  the  head  was 
removed  Jack  discovered  the  owl  was  filled 
with  chocolates,  though  it  was  not  this  fact 
which  made  her  favor  it  above  the  rest  of  her 
gifts. 

"  Come  in  here  with  me,"  said  Nan.  "  There 
is  room  enough  for  two,  if  we  cuddle."  She 
moved  over  that  Jack  might  snuggle  down  by 
her  side. 

"  I  think  you're  mean  to  leave  me,"  came  a 
plaintive  voice  from  the  next  room. 

"  Come  get  in  with  me,"  called  Mary  Lee ; 
"though  you  won't  have  long  to  stay  for  we 
must  get  up  soon  if  we  are  going  to  church." 

Jean  pattered  across  the  floor  and  crept  in 
with  Mary  Lee,  to  turn  out  the  contents  of  her 
stocking  for  her  sister's  inspection. 

"  Did  you  know  you  were  going  to  get  the 
chain,  Nan  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  No,  indeed,  and  it  is  the  very  one  I  liked 
so  much.  I  don't  see  how  Aunt  Helen  knew." 

"  She  asked  Jo  ;  didn't  she,  Jo  ?  " 


294  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  She  mought  and  then  again  she  moughtn't," 
returned  Jo  non-committally. 

"What  did  Dr.  Paul  give  you?"  Jack 
asked. 

"  Oh,  didn't  you  see  that  lovely  great  book  ?  " 
said  Nan.  "  It  is  called  '  Werkes  Altes  Meister,' 
and  is  full  of  illustrations  of  all  the  finest  pic- 
tures. It  is  perfectly  splendid,  but  I  am  afraid 
he  spent  more  for  it  than  he  ought." 

"  Is  he  very  poor  ?  "  asked  Jack.  "  He  doesn't 
look  like  it." 

"  Oh,  he's  not  a  pauper.  Old  Dr.  Woods  is 
quite  well  off,  but  it  is  expensive  for  Dr.  Paul 
to  take  this  course  over  here,  and  naturally  he 
is  not  earning  anything,  and  has  a  proper  pride 
about  not  calling  upon  his  father  for  more  than 
is  necessary." 

."  Will  he  be  rich  some  day  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  hope  he  will  always  have 
enough,  but  he  is  too  generous  to  be  very  rich." 

"  I  think  Carter  will  have  plenty  for  both  of 
us,  don't  you  ?  "  said  Jack  innocently.  "  I  won- 
der if  they  have  Christmas  trees  in  California." 

"  You  silly-billy,"  replied  Nan  laughing.  "  It 
is  time  to  get  up,  goosey-lucy,  owly-powly. 
We  shall  have  to  hurry  or  we  won't  get  to 
church  to-day.  'A  hitch  of  your  heel  and  a 
hitch  of  your  toe '  and  out  you  go."  She  gave 
Jack  a  swing  out  on  the  floor,  and  herself 


In  the  Mountains  295 

sprang  from  bed.  The  three  elder  girls  occu- 
pied the  largest  room  in  which  were  three 
beds,  while  the  two  younger  had  a  little  room 
next. 

They  found  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss  Helen 
ready  for  church  when  the  five  appeared  in 
hats  and  coats.  "  We've  been  making  holiday 
plans,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "and  we'll  talk  about 
them  on  the  way.  What  do  you  all  say  to  a 
few  days  in  the  mountains  to  look  at  the  winter 
sports  and  get  a  bit  more  sunshine  than  we  do 
here?" 

"  Fine  !  "  exclaimed  the  Corners,  Jo  looking 
a  little  dubious. 

"  It's  not  far  to  Partenkirchen,"  Mrs.  Corner 
told  them,  "  and  a  change  will  do  us  all  good. 
Mrs.  Hoyt  has  just  stopped  in  to  say  that  she 
and  her  youngsters  have  decided  to  go,  and 
some  of  the  boys  will  go  with  them.  We  had 
some  talk  about  it  last  night,  but  hadn't  come 
to  any  definite  decision  then.  I  think  a  little 
play  won't  hurt  you,  and  you  will  get  back  to 
work  in  season." 

"  But,  Mrs.  Corner,"  said  Jo,  "  could  I  pos- 
sibly afford  it?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  think  you  could ;  the  larger  the 
party  the  better  terms  we  shall  be  able  to  make, 
and  it  will  not  be  very  expensive  for  a  few  days. 
I  really  think  you  ought  to  go,  for  you  might 


296  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

want  to  write  a  theme  upon  the  winter  sports  of 
Germany,  and  it  might  give  you  a  scholarship 
at  Smith  College." 

Jo  smiled.  She  longed  to  be  one  of  the 
party,  but  could  not  be  sure  that  she  ought. 
Miss  Helen  took  her  arm  when  they  reached 
the  street  and  the  two  walked  off  talking  in  low 
tones.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  church 
Jo  looked  back  at  Nan  and  her  mother.  "  I'm 
going,"  she  said. 

It  was  when  they  returned  from  church  that 
they  found  a  row  of  little  Pfeffers,  headed  by 
Bertha  Metzger,  standing  waiting  for  them. 
Each  one  following  Bertha's  example — having 
been  evidently  well  drilled — bobbed  a  curtsey 
and  kissed,  one  after  another,  the  hands  of  the 
"gnadiges  fraulein"  wishing  them  Froliche 
Weihnacht,  and  murmuring  a  blessing  in  chorus. 
This  proceeding  so  amused  the  twins  that  they 
giggled  outright,  but  the  others,  though  embar- 
rassed, took  the  matter  more  seriously.  Jack 
would  fain  have  carried  off  Bertha  to  see  their 
own  tree,  but  the  watchful  guardian  of  the  Pfef- 
fers could  not  be  induced  to  leave  her  charges 
for  a  second,  and  after  answering  the  questions 
put  to  her,  marshaled  her  cousins  in  order,  ac- 
cording to  size,  and  marched  them  off  with  a 
distinct  feeling  that  they  had  admirably  per- 
formed their  duty.  They  all  looked  very  com- 


In  the  Mountains  297 

fortable  in  their  new  outfits,  and  were  apparently 
very  proud  of  themselves. 

It  was  a  merry  crowd  which  boarded  the  train 
the  next  day  for  Partenkirchen,  and  it  required 
the  combined  efforts  of  the  elder  ladies  to  keep 
the  young  people  in  order.  There  was  much 
talk  of  ski-ing  and  rodeling,  and  all  the  young 
folks  were  very  enthusiastic  about  trying  these 
amusements. 

"Skis  are  rather  expensive,"  remarked  Jo, 
"and  I,  for  one,  shan't  buy  any,  that's  cer- 
tain." 

"  You  can  hire  them,"  Nan  told  her,  "  and 
that  is  what  we  are  all  going  to  do,  for  who  can 
tell  whether  we  shall  like  the  sport  or  not  ?  As 
we  are  to  be  over  here  for  only  one  winter  it 
will  not  be  worth  while  to  tote  those  great  long 
things  all  over  creation  with  us." 

They  had  left  Munich  in  a  gray  mist  which 
shut  out  all  suggestion  of  sunlight,  but  when 
they  reached  the  pretty  mountain  town  of  Par- 
tenkirchen, at  the  foot  of  the  Zugspitze,  the 
skies  were  as  blue  as  summer  and  the  sun  was 
shining  brilliantly  on  the  snowy  mountainsides. 
The  ride  through  the  Bavarian  Highlands  had 
been  beautiful  indeed,  and  the  spirits  of  the 
party,  far  from  lessening,  became  wilder  as  they 
approached  the  greater  heights,  so  it  was  a 
laughing,  excited  crowd  which  finally  left  the 


298  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

train  to  go  to  the  small  hotel  where  they  had 
engaged  board. 

Many  had  arrived  before  them,  and  were  al- 
ready testing  the  toboggan  runs,  or  were  flit- 
ting along,  like  birds,  upon  their  skis. 

The  boys,  naturally,  were  eager  to  try  these 
new  sports,  and  were  soon  equipped,  to  receive 
many  a  humiliating  tumble  before  they  could 
become  adepts.  Juliet  was  scarcely  less  ambi- 
tious than  the  boys  and  was  not  long  in  per- 
suading Mary  Lee  and  Jo  to  fasten  on  the  long 
skis  in  order  to  make  a  first  venture.  Nan 
and  the  twins  contented  themselves  with  sleds 
upon  safe  inclines  at  first,  but  were  so  exhila- 
rated by  the  keen  air  that  they  were  soon  trying 
longer  slopes.  Even  Mrs.  Hoyt  came  out  to 
join  them  leaving  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss  Helen 
to  enjoy  the  bright  sunlight  streaming  in  at 
their  windows. 

In  a  few  days  Nan  had  become  as  enthusias- 
tic an  advocate  of  ski-ing  as  the  rest.  "  It  is  like 
flying,"  she  declared.  "  I  wish  we  could  do  it 
at  home." 

"  It  seems  such  an  impossible  and  dangerous 
thing  to  me,"  said  Miss  Helen  who  had  been 
persuaded  to  come  out  to  watch  the  sport. 

"  It  isn't  when  you  know  how,"  replied  Nan 
as  she  flitted  off. 

It  was  a  gay  company  at  the  little  hotel.     The 


In  the  Mountains  299 

mountain  air  exhilarated  every  one  and  though 
the  unusual  exercise  tired  them  out,  after  a 
hearty  supper  they  were  ready  for  any  kind  of 
fun.  On  New  Year's  Eve  came  the  climax 
when  the  peasants  arrived  to  show  their  dances 
and  to  ask  the  guests  to  join  in.  Jo  was  noth- 
ing loth  to  accept  the  young  son  of  mine  host 
as  partner,  and  as  he,  in  embroidered  velvet 
breeches,  short  Tyrolean  jacket  and  red  tie,  led 
off,  she  was  quick  enough  to  imitate  the  others 
and  made  a  better  dancer  than  might  have  been 
expected  in  such  a  wild  and  rollicking  dance  as 
it  was.  Once  she  was  fairly  lifted  off  her  feet, 
whirled  around  and  set  down  again  before  she 
knew  what  was  happening  to  her.  With  the 
snowy  mountains  looking  down  upon  them  they 
welcomed  in  the  new  year  and  slept  the  last 
sleep  they  should  have  at  Partenkirchen,  for 
the  morrow  would  take  them  back  to  Munich. 

Dr.  Paul  made  his  appearance  the  evening  of 
their  return.  He  had  been  to  Dresden  for  a 
week,  looking  into  hospital  work  there  and 
staying  with  a  friend.  He  was  welcomed  joy- 
fully and  was  given  an  enthusiastic  account  of 
winter  in  the  mountains  of  Bavaria. 

"  You'd  better  have  gone  with  us,"  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner told  him.  "  I  am  sure  it  would  have  done 
you  more  good  than  doing  extra  work." 

"  It   wasn't  all  work,"  returned  the  doctor, 


300  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  and  besides  being  deeply  interested  in  what  I 
was  doing,  I  was  glad  to  be  with  my  friend  Bob 
Morgan.  He  is  an  old  pal  of  mine,  and  we 
have  had  many  a  run  together.  By  the  way, 
Nan,"  he  turned  toward  this  person,  "  I  think  I 
may  have  a  clue  to  your  Hans  Metzger." 

Every  one  looked  interested.  "  Tell  us  about 
it,"  said  Nan. 

"  Of  course  it  is  by  no  means  an  unusual 
name,"  the  doctor  went  on,  "  and  there  may 
be  dozens  of  them  in  the  community,  but  as  I 
was  in  Bob's  room  at  the  hospital  one  day,  I 
picked  up  a  German  book,  rather  a  curious  old 
volume  on  husbandry  which  was  lying  on  the 
table.  In  it  I  saw  the  name,  Hans  Metzger. 
'  Hallo,'  I  said,  '  where  did  you  get  that  ?  ' 

" '  It  was  left  by  one  of  the  patients/  said  Bob, 
'  a  nice  sort  of  young  German  whom  I  at- 
tended. I  was  looking  at  the  book  one  day, 
and  spoke  of  its  being  something  of  a  curiosity 
because  of  its  age,  so  when  he  was  discharged 
he  presented  it  to  me  out  of  gratitude.'  '  Was 
his  name  Hans  Metzger  ? '  I  asked. 

"  '  Yes,'  Bob  told  me.  '  Where  was  he  from  ? ' 
'  From  his  dialect  I  should  say  he  was  a 
Bavarian.' " 

"  That  looks  like  a  proof,"  said  Nan  eagerly. 

"  So  I  thought.  Bob  promised  to  learn  what 
he  could  of  the  man  and  to  let  me  know.  I 


In  the  Mountains  301 

told  him  of  our  search  and  he  was  much  inter- 
ested." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  the  queerest  thing  if  your 
going  to  Dresden  should  be  the  means  of  find- 
ing him  ?"  said  Nan. 

"When  do  you  think  you  will  hear,  Dr. 
Paul?"  asked  Jack. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  tell  you  that.  It  was 
only  day  before  yesterday  that  I  saw  the 
book." 

"  Did  you  get  a  description  of  the  man  ?  " 
asked  Miss  Helen. 

"  Yes."  The  doctor  took  out  his  note-book. 
"  He  was  rather  tall,  dark,  had  a  scar  on  his 
left  cheek." 

"We  must  go  to-morrow  and  interview  Frau 
Pfeffer,"  said  Nan.  "She  can  tell  if  that 
answers  to  the  description  of  her  brother.  I 
am  surprised,  Dr.  Paul,  to  see  how  many 
Germans  are  dark.  I  have  always  thought  of 
them  as  a  fair-haired,  blue-eyed  race." 

"  You  will  find  a  great  many  quite  the  op- 
posite in  this  part  of  Germany  particularly.  It 
is  so  near  Italy  that  there  are  many  inter- 
marriages with  the  darker  race,  just  as  you 
find  in  Venice  and  other  parts  of  Italy  that 
intermarriages  with  the  Austrians  and  Germans 
have  produced  fair-haired  Italians." 

The  interview  with  Frau  Pfeffer  the  next  day 


302  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

seemed  to  establish  the  fact  of  Hans  Metzger's 
identity  with  the  patient  of  the  Dresden  hospital, 
as  the  description  tallied  exactly  with  that  of 
Frau  Pfeffer's  brother. 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  the  old 
book?"  Nan  asked. 

Frau  Pfeffer  did  not  know,  but  it  was  like 
her  brother  to  have  such.  He  was  fond  of 
reading,  of  husbandry,  of  outdoor  life,  and  he 
could  very  well  have  come  into  possession  of 
such  a  volume. 

A  few  days  later  Dr.  Paul  had  another  report 
to  make.  "  I've  heard  from  Bob  Morgan,"  he 
said.  "The  man  Hans  Metzger  has  gone  to 
America." 

"  To  America  ! "  All  looked  at  one  another 
quite  taken  aback. 

"  Do  you  think,  Dr.  Paul,  that  he  has  then 
deserted  his  little  daughter  ? "  asked  Miss 
Helen. 

"  I  can  tell  better  when  we  get  particulars. 
Bob  Morgan  had  only  time  for  a  line.  This  is 
what  he  writes  :  '  Have  followed  up  the  Hans 
Metzger  matter.  Find  the  man  sailed  for 
America  from  Bremen  on  Dec.  10.  Will  write 
details  later.' " 

"  It's  as  good  as  a  Sherlock  Holmes  story/' 
said  Nan.  "  I  wonder  if  your  Dr.  Morgan  saw 
Hans'  footprint  on  the  gangplank  or  the 


In  the  Mountains  303 

print  of  his  thumb  in  a  booking-office,  or 
what." 

"  It  does  become  rather  exciting,"  admitted 
the  doctor,  "  and  I  am  curious  myself  to  learn 
particulars." 

"  You'll  be  sure  to  let  us  know  as  soon  as 
you  find  out,  won't  you  ?  "  begged  the  girls. 

"  I'll  fly  to  you  on  the  wings  of  the  morning 
or  evening,  whichever  comes  handiest,"  prom- 
ised the  doctor. 

A  few  days  later  the  expected  letter  came 
from  Dr.  Morgan.  He  wrote :  "  I  took  up 
the  Metzger  case  as  soon  as  you  left.  Inquired 
if  any  of  the  patients  knew  him.  Found  a  man 
from  Augsburg  who  had  been  here  for  some 
time  and  had  made  friends  with  Metzger,  as 
both  were  Bavarians.  Metzger  had  come  to 
see  Augsburg  man  before  leaving  the  city. 
Had  a  good  position  promised  him  with  an 
American  who  was  going  home  and  wanted  an 
overseer  for  a  place  in  New  York,  so  Augsburg 
man  said,  though  you  can't  tell  about  the  last. 
They  think  New  York  covers  half  the  U.  S., 
and  is  synonymous.  Later  happened  upon 
Dr.  Streit  who  gave  me  further  particulars. 
Streit  is  a  Munich  man  and  took  an  interest  in 
Metzger.  It  was  through  him  Metzger  found 
place  with  American.  No  doubt  your  man 
will  write  to  his  people  as  soon  as  he  gets 


304  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

settled,  for  I  think  it  is  pretty  clear  he  is  your 
man." 

"  Do  you  think  we  may  really  count  upon 
his  being  the  right  man  ?  "  said  Miss  Helen. 

"  I  think  there  is  every  chance  of  his  being. 
He  may  have  written  to  his  sister,  but  as  you 
say  she  left  the  village  soon  after  he  last  saw 
her,  it  is  quite  possible  the  letter  never  reached 
her.  These  peasants  are  very  stupid  some- 
times, and  very  likely  the  letter  never  was  for- 
warded." 

"  Dumm  is  such  a  good,  expressive  German 
word,"  remarked  Nan,  "  and  just  fits  the  case." 

"  Exactly,"  returned  the  doctor,  "  and  we 
know  if  our  own  country  postmasters  are  so 
often  stupid  what  must  some  of  these  Germans 
be  ?  Bob  says  he  will  try  to  get  the  address  of 
the  man  with  whom  Metzger  went,  so  his  sister 
can  write  and  make  sure  we  are  on  the  right 
track." 

"  I  think  your  Dr.  Morgan  is  very  good  to 
take  so  much  trouble,"  said  Nan. 

"  Oh,  he  is  glad  to  do  it.  He  is  a  Virginia 
boy,  too,  Nan,  and  you  know  he  is  not  going 
to  think  it  any  trouble  to  help  out  in  a  case  of 
this  kind.  Beyond  this,  he  has  a  personal  in- 
terest in  Metzger,  and  wants  to  do  all  he  can 
on  that  account." 

In  due  course  of  time  the  address  came  and 


In  the  Mountains  305 

Frau  Pfeffer  sent  off  a  letter.  So  there  was 
nothing  to  do  but  to  wait  for  a  reply  which 
would  decide  conclusively  whether  it  were  really 
Bertha's  father  whom  they  were  following  up. 

About  this  time  the  Carnival  season  began, 
and  although  the  family  saw  little  of  the  gaieties 
which  entertained  so  many  of  the  Miincheners, 
the  girls  did  so  far  participate  in  them  as  to  go 
to  a  mask  party  which  Dr.  Mann  gave  for  his 
boys,  and  as  it  was  their  first  experience  of  this 
kind  they  were  in  a  great  state  of  excitement. 
Of  course  the  twins  were  not  included  in  the 
party,  but  the  three  older  girls  and  Juliet  had 
many  conferences  as  to  costumes. 

"  We  can't  be  expected  to  carry  fancy  cos- 
tumes all  over  Europe  with  us,"  said  Nan, 
"  and  we  shall  have  to  think  up  something  that 
we  can  wear  afterward,  or  which  we  shall  not 
mind  leaving  behind,  it  seems  to  me." 

"  We  could  take  them  with  us,  Nan,"  said 
Mary  Lee,  "  and  they  would  do  to  wear  when 
we  get  home." 

"  If  we  haven't  outgrown  them  by  that  time," 
returned  Nan. 

"  We  couldn't  outgrow  all  the  things." 

"  Well,  I  know  this  child  spends  no  fortune 
on  costumes,"  put  in  Jo.  "  Cheap  and  easy  is 
my  motto  for  this  occasion." 

"  Mamma  tried  to  hire  something  for  us," 


306  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

said  Juliet,  "but  everything  we  saw  that  would 
fit  was  so  mussy  and  soiled  that  it  wouldn't  do 
at  all.  We  did  manage  to  rig  out  Maurice, 
but  I  am  still  looking." 

"  Mary  Lee  would  make  a  perfect  little  Dres- 
den shepherdess,"  said  Jo,  "  and  I  don't  think 
it  would  be  a  hard  costume  to  get  up.  She 
could  copy  some  of  the  figures  we  have  seen 
and  it  would  be  lovely." 

"  Good  !  "  cried  Nan.  "  I  approve  of  that 
myself.  Although  it  is  not  strictly  original  it 
will  be  very  becoming  and  just  suit  my  fair 
sister's  style." 

"  I  am  going  to  talk  to  mother  about  it,"  said 
Mary  Lee  leaving  the  group. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  what  a  long,  lanky  thing 
like  me  can  wear,"  said  Nan.  "  I  might  go  as 
a  bean-pole,  and  twine  a  vine  up  my  length." 

"  You  may  be  long  but  you're  not  what  I 
should  call  lanky,"  corrected  Jo. 

"  I  think  Nan  would  look  fine  in  one  of  those 
costumes  on  those  quaint  post-cards  we  all  liked 
so  much  at  Christmas  time,"  said  Juliet.  "  I 
have  one  of  the  prettiest  left.  I'll  go  get  it  and 
you  might  copy  that."  She  ran  off,  presently 
returning  with  the  card  which  all  examined  with 
much  interest. 

"  The  dress  wouldn't  be  hard,"  Nan  decided, 
"and  I  have  the  scarf.  I  would  need  some- 


In  the  Mountains 

thing  different  from  anything  in  the  combined 
wardrobes  of  the  family  to  make  the  bonnet 
of." 

Juliet  was  busy  thinking.  "  Mother  has  just 
the  thing,  I  do  believe,"  she  said  after  a  mo- 
ment :  "a  big  Leghorn  hat  that  can  be  bent 
into  any  shape.  She  will  be  delighted  to  lend 
it  to  you.  I  think  you  will  look  dear  in  such  a 
bonnet,  Nan,  with  bunches  of  pink  roses  against 
your  dark  hair." 

"  I  can  easily  make  a  little  bag  like  that  to 
carry  on  my  arm,"  decided  Nan.  "  I  think  it 
is  a  costume  of  the  period  of  1812  as  nearly  as 
I  remember." 

"  One  of  the  boys  is  to  have  a  costume  that 
will  match  it,"  said  Juliet.  "  I  shall  not  tell 
which  one,  but  I  know  he  will  look  dandy  in  it. 
The  boys  sometimes  spend  a  lot  on  these  cos- 
tumes, and  come  in  such  magnificence  as  you 
wouldn't  believe.  Of  course  some  are  much 
better  off  than  others,  and  some  of  the  girls 
will  be  gotten  up  regardless,  but  I  think  the 
main  thing  is  to  look  picturesque  and  to  wear 
something  which  will  be  becoming  when  we 
unmask.  When  the  boys  don't  want  to  spend 
much  they  go  as  Pierrots.  There  will  be  sev- 
eral in  that  character,  I  can  promise  you." 

"  I  might  go  as  a  switch-tender,  and  borrow 
Frau  Pfeffer's  get-up,"  remarked  Jo. 


308  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  How  you  would  look/'  cried  Nan,  "  and 
what  would  she  do  that  day,  pray  ?  " 

"  She  could  go  to  bed  early,"  said  Jo  calmly. 

It  was  finally  decided  that  Jo  should  go  .in 
Spanish  dress,  the  girls  suddenly  remembering 
what  they  had  brought  from  Spain  with  them, 
which  supplemented  would  do  verv  well  to  rep- 
resent an  aldeana  costume.  Juliet  eventually 
went  as  a  peacock,  a  spreading  tail  of  feathers 
adorning  the  back  of  a  greenish  gold  frock,  and 
upon  her  head  a  clever  arrangement  of  feathers 
and  beak  to  represent  the  bird's  head.  Her 
bodice  was  of  peacock  blue  and  the  whole  effect 
was  quite  dazzling,  and  strange  to  say  very  be- 
coming. Of  the  four  girls  it  must  be  said  that 
Mary  Lee  looked  the  best,  her  fair  skin,  blue 
eyes  and  neat  features  being  exactly  as  they 
should  be  for  a  Dresden  shepherdess.  A  fluffy 
white  wig  and  a  coquettish  hat  made  the  finish- 
ing touches  to  her  dress,  and  she  was  very  much 
pleased  with  herself  as  well  she  might  be.  Nan, 
though  not  so  striking,  was  a  quaint  figure. 
Her  bonnet  was  a  great  success,  trimmed  out- 
side with  long  white  plumes  and  some  old- 
fashioned  apple-green  ribbons,  and  inside  with 
bunches  of  pink  roses  which  lay  against  the 
clusters  of  curls  in  which  she  had  arranged  her 
dark  hair.  The  dress  was  a  green  silk  with  lit- 
tle bunches  of  pink  flowers  upon  it,  and  her 


In  the  Mountains  309 

pink  scarf  drooping  negligently  was  of  the 
color  of  the  roses  in  her  bonnet.  The  whole 
party  set  off  in  an  automobile  and  had  that  kind 
of  good  time  which  youth  and  high  spirits  can 
generally  give  us  on  such  occasions.  That  they 
did  not  lack  in  partners  for  either  games  or 
dances  goes  without  saying,  and  that  it  was  an 
event  long  after  referred  to  can  be  taken  for 
granted. 

After  this  there  were  not  any  great  merry- 
makings, the  gatherings  in  Mrs.  Hoyt's  sitting- 
room  being  quite  sufficient  for  ordinary  fun,  and 
all  worked  hard  between  times.  January  did 
not  bring  anything  but  dark  and  sunless  weather, 
so  Mrs.  Corner  felt  that  she  must  pitch  her  tent 
elsewhere  as  she  was  feeling  the  effects  of  the 
lack  of  sunshine.  She  therefore  decided  to  go 
to  the  Riviera  for  a  couple  of  months. 

"  I  shall  not  be  so  very  far  away,"  she  said  to 
Nan,  who  always  felt  the  separation  more  than 
any  of  the  others.  "  It  is  scarcely  more  than  a 
day's  journey,  and  if  I  am  needed  I  can  fly  to 
you  in  less  time  than  it  would  take  to  go  to  Bos- 
ton from  Virginia." 

"  Will  Aunt  Helen  go  with  you  ?  "  asked  Nan. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Mrs.  Corner.  "  Things 
didn't  go  altogether  happily  with  you  last  win- 
ter, Nan,  dear,  and  I  hate  to  leave  you  in  a  for- 
eign city  with  the  responsibility  of  your  younger 


310  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

sisters  upon  you.  Mrs.  Hoyt  has  very  kindly 
offered  to  chaperon  you  and  the  Fraulein  is  quite 
to  be  relied  upon,  but  still  I  do  not  like  to  go 
off  and  leave  you  to  be  the  acting  head  of  the 
family." 

"  It  is  quite  different  from  last  year,"  Nan  told 
her,  "  for  this  is  not  a  boarding-school,  and  you 
will  not  be  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  as  you 
were  then.  For  my  part,  motherdel — that  is  a 
newly  coined  south  German  diminutive.  I  am 
your  made  I ;  you  are  my  motherdel  instead  of 
mutterchin — as  I  was  saying,  for  my  part,  I 
would  much  rather  Aunt  Helen  should  be  with 
you.  We  shall  be  perfectly  comfortable,  and  I 
can't  bear  the  idea  of  your  going  off  alone.  If 
you  should  be  ill " 

"There  are  always  good  doctors  and  nurses 
to  be  had,"  her  mother  hastened  to  say. 

"  But  not  to  have  any  of  one's  very  own.  No, 
mutterdel,  Aunt  Helen  must  go,  too,  and  we  will 
behave  like  the  best  of  Cornelia's  jewels." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  you  older  girls,  except  in 
your  case  when  you  sacrifice  yourself  for  Jack." 

"  Oh,  but  Jack  is  much  more  sensible.  She 
is  developing  a  better  sense  of  proportion,  and 
of  right  and  wrong.  She  is  terribly  impetuous, 
but  she  does  mean  all  right  at  heart." 

"  I  am  sure  of  that.  She  couldn't  be  her 
father's  child  and  be  lacking  in  principle." 


In  the  Mountains 

"  She  couldn't  be  her  mother's  child  and  not 
turn  out  a  dear,  good  woman,"  said  Nan,  fon- 
dling her  mother's  hand.  "  I'll  promise  you, 
mother,  I'll  not  do  anything  rash.  If  any  prob- 
lems arise  I  will  suspend  action  till  I  can  hear 
from  you,  and  if  it  is  something  in  which  I  have 
to  act  at  once  I  will  take  the  case  to  Mrs.  Hoyt." 

"There  might  be  cases  that  you  wouldn't 
want  to  consult  even  Mrs.  Hoyt  about,"  said 
Mrs.  Corner  thoughtfully. 

"  Then  I'll  pour  out  my  woes  to  Dr.  Paul." 

Mrs.  Corner  nodded.  "  Yes,  you  can  trust 
him,  for  he  has  known  you  all  since  you  were 
babies.  With  him  as  well  as  Mrs.  Hoyt  I  think 
I  can  feel  safe  about  you.  All  right,  Nan.  I'll 
talk  it  over  with  Helen." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
HERR  GREEN-CAP 


CHAPTER  XVI 

HERR  GREEN-CAP 

ALTHOUGH  Nan's  responsibilities  did  seem 
heavier  after  the  departure  of  her  mother  and 
aunt,  the  fact  that  they  were  shared  in  a 
measure  by  Mrs.  Hoyt  and  Fraulein  Bauer  as 
well  as  by  Dr.  Paul,  made  them  seem  less.  To 
Dr.  Paul  Nan  poured  out  her  confidences  in 
the  most  artless  manner,  and  he  responded  as 
any  considerate  older  brother  might  have  done. 
There  was  plenty  of  work  for  all  to  do,  for 
beyond  the  demand  of  music,  Nan  had  her 
German  and  other  studies  in  which  Mary  Lee 
shared.  Jo,  though  doing  well  in  most  direc- 
tions, floundered  terribly  when  it  came  to 
German  accent  and  pronunciation.  Fortunately 
Fraulein  Bauer  was  herself  North  German,  and 
so  was  the  teacher  under  whom  Jo  studied,  so 
she  did  not  fall  into  a  very  pronounced  dialect, 
and  she  comforted  herself  by  saying :  "  My 
exams  will  be  written  and  not  spoken,  so  I 
think  I  shall  pass  all  right."  Jack  cheerfully 
plunged  in  with  a  reckless  disregard  of  any- 
thing but  making  herself  understood,  and  con- 
sequently gained  a  large  vocabulary,  while 


316  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Jean,  more  timid  and  self-conscious,  depended 
upon  her  twin  when  it  came  to  an  emergency. 

Jo,  who  had  been  the  life  of  Miss  Barnes's 
boarding-school,  was  much  more  subdued  here 
in  Germany.  It  seemed  to  be  borne  in  upon 
her  that  this  was  the  opportunity  of  her  life, 
and  she  must  make  the  most  of  it.  She  had 
never  studied  very  hard  before,  but  being 
naturally  bright,  had  depended  upon  a  good 
memory  and  sudden  inspiration  to  cope  with 
the  occasion. 

The  girls  had  received  Christmas  letters 
from  all  their  late  schoolmates,  telling  of  the 
little  events  which  they  knew  would  interest 
them  on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Charlotte 
Loring's  was  the  longest ;  Daniella's  the  most 
vividly  interesting,  for  the  latter  had  a  pictur- 
esque way  of  presenting  things,  born  of  her  early 
free  life  in  the  Virginia  mountains.  There  had 
been,  too,  letters  from  home,  from  Cousin  Polly 
Lewis,  telling  of  her  approaching  marriage, 
from  Gordon  and  his  brother,  from  Phil,  and 
last  of  all  from  Aunt  Sarah,  giving  the  intimate 
details  of  home  life  which  brought  the  brown 
house  and  its  inmates  very  distinctly  before  them. 

And  now  there  were  three  months  of  hard 
study  before  them,  interspersed  with  such 
pleasures  as  skating  in  the  Englischer  Garten, 
visits  to  some  specially  interesting  place,  like 


Herr  Green-Cap  317 

the  great  foundry  where  had  been  cast  such 
famous  works  as  the  great  doors  of  the  Capitol 
at  Washington,  and  numerous  world-renowned 
statues.  For  Nan  there  were  always  opera  and 
concerts  as  often  as  practicable,  and  if  Fraulein 
Bauer  could  not  go  with  her,  Mrs.  Hoyt  was 
generally  ready.  Failing  her,  Dr.  Paul  would 
be  called  up,  and  it  was  seldom  that  he  could 
not  set  aside  all  else  in  order  to  act  as  escort. 
There  were  merry  doings,  too,  in  Mrs.  Hoyt's 
sitting-room,  walks  on  the  Parada  to  hear  the 
band,  expeditions  to  the  Isarthal,  or  the  beauti- 
ful Starnberger  See  when  a  brisk  walk  over 
snowy  paths  brought  them  all  back  ready  to 
attack  a  supper  which,  even  when  wurst  ap- 
peared as  its  principal  dish,  seldom  failed  to 
satisfy. 

Strange  to  say,  it  was  not  Jack  nor  Jean 
about  whom  Nan  finally  felt  a  certain  anxiety, 
but  it  was  Jo.  Had  it  been  one  of  her  own 
sisters,  if  she  could  not  have  laid  the  matter 
before  Mrs.  Hoyt,  Nan  could  have  consulted 
Dr.  Paul,  but  she  felt  a  certain  hesitancy  in 
discussing  Jo  with  any  one  but  Mary  Lee  who 
was  the  first  to  discover  that  all  was  not  right 
and  who  came  to  her  sister  in  great  perplexity. 

"  Nan,"  she  said,  "  I  think  we  ought  to  do 
something  about  Jo." 

Nan,  who  was  puzzling  out  a  difficult  passage 


318  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

in  her  translation,  stopped  short.  "  What  do  you 
mean,  Mary  Lee  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Where  are  the  twinnies?  "  asked  Mary  Lee, 
looking  around. 

"  Gone  with  Mrs.  Hoyt  to  the  Englischer 
Garten.  Jo  isn't  here  either." 

"  I  know  that  well  enough.  She  is  skating 
at  another  place  with  that  horrid  boy." 

"  What  horrid  boy  ?  "     Nan  looked  amazed. 

"  Some  one  she  met  on  the  ice  last  week 
one  day  when  you  weren't  there.  He  is  a 
student,  and  he  came  up  and  asked  Jo  to  skate 
with  him.  You  know  how  free  and  easy  she 
is.  He  is  a  good  skater,  waltzes  on  the  ice 
and  does  that  sort  of  thing,  so  off  Jo  went  be- 
fore I  could  say  a  word.  Ever  since  then  he 
has  been  trying  to  get  chances  to  meet  her. 
He  followed  her  home  and  found  out  where 
she  lived.  Jo  is  the  most  unconventional  girl 
in  the  world,  and  she  didn't  hesitate  to  tell  him 
her  name,  so  he  wrote  to  her  and  asked  her  to 
meet  him  on  the  ice  the  next  day.  We  all 
went  together,  all  but  you,  and  in  that  crowd 
Mrs.  Hoyt  couldn't  keep  .track  of  us  all.  Jo 
has  skated  with  him  every  day  since,  but  often 
they  go  to  another  skating  pond.  She  has 
been  answering  his  notes  and  all  that.  He 
speaks  English  and  says  he  is  the  son  of  a 
countess." 


Herr  Green-Cap  319 

"  Dear  me,  I  wonder  if  that  is  so,  but,  even 
if  it  is,  that  amounts  to  nothing.  There  are 
plenty  of  disreputable  counts  and  countesses 
over  here  and  we  don't  know  a  thing  about 
him.  It  is  too  bad  that  my  music  lesson  comes 
in  the  afternoon,  or  I  would  go  oftener  with  you 
all.  I  really  don't  have  time  to  go  more  than 
twice  a  week,  and  opera  nights  I  can't  go  at  all." 

"  Do  you  think  we  ought  to  tell  Mrs.  Hoyt?" 

Nan  considered  the  question  for  a  moment. 
"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  presently, 
"  It  seems  mean  to  tattle — yet — I'll  tell  you, 
Mary  Lee,  we'll  see  if  we  can't  get  her  to  stop, 
and  if  she  won't  we'll  think  of  what  is  best  to 
do." 

"She  won't  stop.  She  thinks  it  is  the 
greatest  piece  of  fun,  and  can't,  or  won't  see  that 
there  is  any  harm  in  it." 

"  Why  couldn't  she  be  satisfied  with  the  nice 
boys  she  already  knows  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  asked  her,  and  she  said  that 
none  of  them  was  a  count  and  that  it  was  much 
more  of  a  lark  to  carry  on  with  a  foreigner. 
She  could  know  all  the  Americans  she  wanted 
at  home.  You  know  how  Jo  talks." 

"  Did  the  other  boys  see  her  skating  with  this 
fellow?" 

"  Yes,  and  she  told  them  he  was  a  friend  of 
hers.  I  suppose  Mrs.  Hoyt  thinks  so,  too,  now 


320  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

that  she  has  seen  the  two  together.  He  is 
rather  nice-looking,  and  I  have  no  doubt  Mrs. 
Hoyt  thinks  we  know  all  about  him  and  that  it 
is  all  right.  She  doesn't  know  that  when  Jo 
isn't  with  us  she  is  off  skating  at  some  other 
place." 

"  I'll  try  talking  to  her,"  said  Nan,  "  though 
it  may  not  do  any  good.  Probably  she  thinks 
I  am  not  old  enough  to  give  advice.  Of  course 
we  are  not  exactly  responsible  for  her  in  one 
way,  but  she  is  of  our  party  and  that  does  give 
us  some  rights.  If  mother  were  here  she  would 
soon  settle  it  in  the  nicest  sort  of  way.  I  will 
try  talking  and  if  that  does  no  good  I  will  write 
to  mother  and  get  her  advice.  Jo  is  very  fond 
of  both  mother  and  Aunt  Helen  and  would  hate 
to  displease  them  or  lose  their  respect." 

"  I  feel  differently  about  Jo  than  about  most 
girls,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "  for  you  know  she  hasn't 
had  much  comfort  at  home,  and  as  she  says, 
has  '  tumbled  up.'  Before  her  father  married 
a  second  time  she  was  left  to  the  care  of  serv- 
ants, and  now  there  are  all  those  little  children, 
she  is  out  of  it.  All  the  training  she  has  ever 
had  has  been  at  Miss  Barnes's.  She  really 
doesn't  realize,  Nan,  for  out  West  where  she  has 
always  lived  they  are  much  more  ready  to  make 
friends  with  every  one  than  we  are.  You  know 
how  full  of  fun  and  nonsense  she  is.  The  boys 


Herr  Green-Cap  321 

all  like  her  and  I  suppose  this  one  never  met  a 
girl  like  her  before." 

"  I  hope  he  doesn't  think  all  American  girls 
are  ready  to  make  chance  acquaintances  in  that 
way.  All  you  say  is  quite  true,  Mary  Lee,  and 
for  that  very  reason  I  don't  want  to  discuss  it 
with  any  one  but  mother  or  Aunt  Helen.  They 
know  all  about  Jo  and  can  make  allowances.  I 
will  write  to-night." 

"  I  thought  you  had  a  lot  of  work  to  do  and  that 
was  why  you  couldn't  go  this  afternoon  with  us." 

Nan  sighed.  "  Yes,  I  have  a  lot,  but  I  can 
get  up  early  and  finish  it." 

"  It  is  pitch  dark  till  nearly  eight  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  can  get  a  lamp  and  go  into  the  sitting- 
room." 

Mary  Lee  was  so  used  to  leaving  such  mat- 
ters to  her  elder  sister  that  she  didn't  at  once 
think  of  protesting.  Moreover  she  was  not 
quite  so  unselfish  as  Nan  ;  she  did  love  her 
morning  nap  and  was  not  ready  to  give  up  an 
evening's  fun  with  the  Hoyts.  But  at  last  she 
said,  a  little  reluctantly :  "  Couldn't  I  write  the 
letter,  Nan  ?  " 

"  No,  thanks,  I  reckon  I'd  better  do  it,"  said 
Nan  lightly,  and  Mary  Lee  felt  relieved  not 
only  that  she  had  made  the  offer  but  that  it 
had  not  been  accepted. 


322  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

But  after  all,  Nan  did  not  have  to  write  the 
letter  that  evening,  for  Dr.  Paul  came  in  early. 
He  generally  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  every 
day  to  see  that  all  was  right  with  his  wards,  as 
he  called  the  girls.  Jo  had  come  home  late, 
when  the  others  were  already  seated  at  the 
supper  table.  She  gave  Mary  Lee  a  top-loftical 
glance  but  carried  on  a  conversation  principally 
with  Juliet  and  Maurice. 

"  She  doesn't  like  it  because  I  wouldn't  stay 
with  her  and  meet  that  creature,"  Mary  Lee 
whispered  to  Nan  as  they  left  the  dining-room. 

"  I'm  glad  you  had  the  good  sense  not  to," 
said  Nan.  "  Did  he  come  home  with  her  ?  " 

"I  suppose  so,  though  I  don't  know  any 
more  about  it  than  you  do." 

Jo  had  not  tarried  with  the  girls,  but  had 
gone  directly  to  the  Hoyts'  room,  to  which 
Mary  Lee  declared  her  intention  of  going  also. 

"That  letter  has  got  to  be  written,  I  plainly 
see,"  said  Nan. 

She  was  about  to  settle  herself  to  her  task, 
the  others  having  congregated  around  Mrs. 
Hoyt,  when  Dr.  Paul  came  in.  Nan  greeted 
him  in  a  preoccupied  way. 

"  Am  I  interrupting  some  important  study  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  No,"  replied  Nan.  "  I  was  just  beginning 
a  letter  to  mother ;  that  was  all." 


Heir  Green-Cap  323 

"  Everything  all  right?  " 

"  Ye-es."  She  spoke  a  little  doubtfully,  the 
shadow  of  Jo's  affair  still  upon  her. 

Dr.  Paul  looked  at  her  fixedly,  his  keen  eye 
noticing  the  trouble  in  her  face.  "  Look  here, 
Nan,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  believe  everything  is 
all  right." 

Nan  recovered  herself  and  smiled.  "  Oh, 
yes,  it  is.  You'll  not  find  a  Corner  who 
hasn't  a  clear  conscience  and  a  clean  bill  of 
health." 

"That's  good.  Then  I've  no  prescriptions 
to  write,  no  advice  to  give  you  this  time  ?  " 

Nan  shook  her  head.  "  No,  you'll  have  to 
look  out  for  other  patients." 

"  Then  I'll  not  keep  you  from  that  letter.  I 
know  how  precious  time  is  just  now.  Where 
are  the  rest  ?  " 

'•'  Where  they  generally  are ;  over  in  Mrs. 
Hoyt's  room  '  ca'y'in  on '  as  Mitty  would 
say." 

The  doctor  picked  up  his  hat.  "  After  all,  it 
was  only  that  the  girl  was  thinking  about  her 
work,"  he  told  himself.  He  knew  she  was 
practicing  for  a  musicale  which  was  to  be  given 
by  Frau  Burg-Schmidt's  pupils,  and  that  she 
had  much  to  do.  He  was  about  to  go  when 
he  turned  back.  "  Listen,  Nan,"  he  said. 
"Who  is  the  German  youth  with  the  green 


324  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

cap  I  saw  skating  with  your  friend  Jo,  this 
afternoon  ?  " 

"  Were  you  out  there  ?  Oh,  he  is  a  friend  of 
Jo's."  She  tried  to  speak  lightly. 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

Nan  was  silent,  but  the  question  was  too 
direct  to  avoid.  "  No,"  she  answered  truth- 
fully, then  hurriedly,  "  Why  do  you  ask?" 

"  Because  I  don't  believe  he  is  the  kind  you 
all  want  to  know." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  thing.  I  was 
standing  with  a  fellow  student  watching  the 
skaters  when  Miss  Jo  swung  along  with  Green- 
Cap.  She  saw  me  and  I  bowed.  I  don't 
think  she  saw  my  friend  who  was  just  behind 
me.  '  Who  is  that  ? '  said  he.  '  A  young 
compatriot  of  ours,'  I  told  him.  '  Nice  girl.' 
'  Humph ! '  he  said.  '  I  wonder  where  she  picked 
up  that  fellow.'  '  What's  the  matter  with 
him?'  I  asked.  'He  is  a  bad  lot,'  said  my 
friend.  '  I  shouldn't  like  a  sister  of  mine  to  be 
seen  with  him.'  Later  on  I  happened  to  be 
coming  home  directly  behind  the  couple.  They 
were  laughing  and  talking  in  great  shape.  I 
noticed  that  none  of  you  were  along,  and  I 
wondered  ;  that's  all." 

Nan  stood  leaning  on  the  back  of  a  chair, 
listening  thoughtfully.  "  Sit  down,  Dr.  Paul," 


Herr  Green-Cap  325 

she  said.  "I  don't  believe  I  shall  have  to 
write  that  letter  to-night,  for  you  happen  to 
bring  up  the  very  subject  I  was  going  to  write 
about.  No,  we  don't  know  that  young  man. 
He  is  a  chance  acquaintance  whom  Jo  has 
picked  up  without  realizing  it  was  anything 
out  of  the  way.  He  asked  if  he  might  skate 
with  her,  and  she,  thinking  it  the  custom,  ac- 
cepted his  invitation.  Mary  Lee,  whom  you 
know  is  always  a  most  proper  and  discreet 
young  person,  came  away  and  left  Jo.  Mrs. 
Hoyt  believing  him  to  be  a  friend  of  ours  hasn't 
inquired  about  him.  She  is  an  awfully  jolly 
sort  of  somebody,  and  is  really  particular,  but 
I  think  she  doesn't  want  to  appear  fussy,  and 
of  course  doesn't  dream  but  that  we  all  know 
this  person.  So,  Jo  has  been  going  her  own 
gait,  and  I  am  awfully  bothered  about  it.  I 
don't  want  to  tell  tales  to  Mrs.  Hoyt,  and  have 
her  annoyed  with  Jo.  I  don't  want  to  tell 
Fraulein  Bauer,  for  fear  she  would  say  Jo 
could  not  stay  here,  for  the  Fraulein  is  a  great 
stickler  of  proprieties,  and  I  could  see  nothing 
to  do  but  to  write  to  mother,  though  I  hate  to 
bother  her." 

The  doctor  looked  down  at  her  with  a  sympa- 
thetic expression  in  his  dark  eyes.  "  You  are 
always  shouldering  somebody's  burdens,  Nan," 
he  said.  "  I  haven't  forgotten  last  year." 


326  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Oh,  that  was  quite  a  different  thing." 

"  If  I  remember  right,  Miss  Jo  was  mixed  up 
in  that." 

"  Yes,  in  a  way,"  Nan  admitted.  "  Though 
she  hadn't  the  least  idea  that  she  was,  and  as 
soon  as  she  found  out,  you  know  she  went 
straight  to  Miss  Barnes  and  told  her  all  about 
it." 

"  And  this  time  she  is  going  into  an  affair 
with  her  eyes  open." 

"  Not  exactly.  You  know  she  is  a  Western 
girl  who  has  not  had  much  care  at  home.  Her 
mother  died  before  Jo  was  big  enough  to  re- 
member her,  and  though  the  stepmother  is  a 
kind  enough  sort  of  person,  she  has  no  thought 
beyond  her  family  of  little  children  and  Jo  has 
had  to  hoe  her  own  row  always.  Her  father  is 
away  from  home  a  good  deal  and  absorbed  in 
business  so  Jo  has  not  had  much  chance." 

"  I  see,  and  you  think  that  all  the  more  she 
should  be  warned.  Have  you  said  anything  to 
her  on  the  subject  ?  " 

"  No,  but  Mary  Lee  has,  and  she  thinks  she 
is  prudish." 

"  Well,  I  tell  you  you  are  not  to  think  of  this 
any  more.  I  will  settle  it.  You  must  leave  it 
all  to  me." 

"But  you  will  not "  Nan  began  in 

alarm. 


Herr  Green-Cap  327 

The  doctor  smiled.  "  I  am  not  going  to  do 
anything  rash,  and  Miss  Jo  shall  not  know  that 
I  know  anything  about  her  cuttings  up.  I  have 
a  scheme  which  I  hope  will  work  out  all  right 
and  rid  you  all  of  the  undesirable  acquaintance. 
Do  you  trust  me  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  do.  You  are  always  such  a  rock 
of  defense,  Dr.  Paul,"  said  Nan  gratefully.  "  I 
don't  know  what  I  should  do  without  you." 

"I'd  be  a  pretty  sort  of  cad  if  I  didn't  look 
out  for  you,"  he  said  vehemently.  "  I'd  like  to 
bring  young  Bingham  with  me  to  call,  if  I  may. 
He  is  a  nice  fellow,  I  can  assure  you.  Your 
Fraulein  will  not  object  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  though  she  is  a  very  good  watch- 
dog. So  long  as  he  comes  with  you  he  will  be 
admitted.  I  am  not  so  sure  but  that  she  would 
growl  and  show  her  teeth  if  he  came  alone." 

"  All  right,  I  will  stop  in  or  will  telephone 
to-morrow  and  tell  you  when  to  expect  us. 
Now,  remember,  no  more  anxiety  over  Miss 
Jo  and  Herr  Green-Cap.  You  promise  ?  " 

"  I  promise."  Nan  held  out  her  hand,  and 
as  the  door  closed  after  the  doctor  she  felt  a 
distinct  sense  of  relief  that  he  should  have 
taken  her  burden  on  his  own  shoulders.  She 
could  not  resist  going  over  to  call  Mary  Lee 
out  into  the  hall  for  a  whispered  conversation 
before  going  back  to  her  studies,  for  which, 


328  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

after  all,  she  would  not  have  to  rise  before 
daylight. 

Just  what  the  doctor  meant  to  do  the  girls 
could  not  imagine,  and  they  were  very  curious 
to  discover.  True  to  his  word,  he  called  Nan 
up  over  the  telephone  the  next  day  and  said 
that  he  and  Mr.  Bingham  would  call  that  even- 
ing, if  convenient. 

"  I'll  ask  the  Fraulein,"  said  Nan,  and  pres- 
ently that  lady  herself  came  to  the  'phone.  Of 
course  any  friend  of  the  Herr  doctor  would  be 
acceptable.  Yes,  she  would  be  pleased  to  re- 
ceive them.  Therefore  when  evening  came  she 
was  established  in  the  place  of  honor,  the  sofa, 
some  time  before  the  two  visitors  arrived.  The 
Hoyts  were  out,  the  twins  had  gone  to  bed, 
therefore  there  was  no  excuse  for  Jo  not  to  be 
present.  She  had  rather  avoided  being  alone 
with  the  girls,  and  was  relieved  when  company 
came.  She  felt  the  unspoken  disapproval  in 
the  manner  of  both  Mary  Lee  and  Nan,  and 
resented  it,  though,  in  her  heart  of  hearts,  she 
could  not  help  knowing  there  was  reason  for  it. 

Mr.  Bingham  was  a  pleasant,  ruddy-faced 
young  man,  who,  as  he  hailed  from  the  West, 
was  looked  upon  with  favor  by  Jo.  As  was 
natural  the  talk  fell  upon  student  life.  Mr. 
Bingham,  being  a  university  man,  was  good 
authority,  for  he  had  been  in  Munich  two  years. 


Herr  Green-Cap  329 

"Do  you  know  many  of  the  students?"  he 
asked  Nan. 

"  Not  one,"  she  replied,  "  unless  you  can  call 
Dr.  Woods  a  student.  We  know  a  number  of 
Dr.*  Mann's  schoolboys,  but  you're  the  first  real 
student  we  have  met.  I  am  glad  you  haven't 
let  them  slash  your  face." 

"  There  is  a  law  against  dueling,"  Mr.  Bing- 
ham  told  her.  "  But  in  some  way  the  men 
manage  to  avoid  it." 

"  They  are  very  proud  of  their  scars,  I  am 
told,"  remarked  Jo. 

"  Yes,  one  of  the  men  just  out  of  the  hospital 
told  me  proudly  this  morning  that  he  had  forty 
scars." 

"  Silly  creature  !  "  said  Mary  Lee  scornfully. 

"  I  never  saw  so  many  colored  caps  in  all  my 
life,  but  I  suppose  you  don't  sport  one  of  those 
either,"  said  Jo. 

"  No,  I'm  not  a  German,  you  see,  and  I  don't 
join  any  of  the  societies  which  are  strictly  local 
affairs." 

"  Do  you  make  friends  with  many  of  the 
German  students?"  asked  Mary  Lee;  "and 
are  they  nice  ?  " 

"  I  know  a  number  of  very  nice  fellows.  Of 
course  there  are  all  sorts,  and  as  is  the  case 
everywhere  there  are  some  the  better  men  don't 
care  to  know.  Some  of  them  are  a  pretty  tough 


330  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

set.  There  is  one  in  particular  I  happen  to 
know  about,  who  is  sure  to  be  sent  up  if  he 
doesn't  look  out." 

"  Sent  up  where  ?  This  is  interesting,"  said 
Jo. 

"  Well,  you  see  there  are  certain  rules,  and  if 
a  man  breaks  them  and  gets  found  out  he  is 
liable  to  imprisonment  for  ten  days.  The  uni- 
versity attends  to  all  its  own  cases  without 
recourse  to  the  police." 

"  Oh,  dear !  Tell  us  some  more.  Do  you 
know  the  man  ?  Is  he  very  wicked  ?  "  Mary 
Lee  asked. 

"  He  is  simply  a  worthless,  reckless  nobody. 
He  calls  himself  the  son  of  a  countess,  and  likes 
people  to  believe  he  will  inherit  a  title  himself. 
His  mother  did  marry  a  count  for  her  second 
husband,  though  her  first  husband,  this  fellow's 
father,  was  little  more  than  a  peasant.  She 
herself  is  a  mere  adventuress  from  whom  the 
count  parted  years  ago,  having  found  out  her 
character.  She  is  a  handsome  woman,  they 
say,  and  quite  fascinating ;  the  son  resembles 
her.  I  am  told,  not  only  in  looks  but  in  char- 
acter." 

The  Corner  girls  did  not  dare  to  look  at  Jo, 
whose  face  was  scarlet.  All  three  were  listen- 
ing intently. 

"Go  on,"  said  Nan   with   more  than  usual 


Herr  Green-Cap  331 

eagerness.  "Tell  us  some  more  about  him. 
It  is  quite  like  a  story-book." 

"  His  mother  managed  to  get  him  into  the 
university,"  Mr.  Bingham  went  on,  "  but  I 
imagine  he  has  about  run  his  career,  for  his 
escapades  are  becoming  known  to  the  faculty, 
and,  moreover,  his  reputation  has  become  such 
that  none  of  the  decent  fellows  want  to  be  seen 
with  him.  He  is  tricky  at  cards  and  has  done 
a  number  of  shady  things." 

"  I  suppose  you  couldn't  tell  his  name,"  said 
Nan.  "  We  want  to  avoid  him,  you  see,"  she 
added  with  a  slight  laugh. 

"  Oh,  every  one  knows  him.  I  am  divulging 
no  secret,"  replied  Mr.  Bingham.  "  His  name 
is  Karl  Hofer." 

Dr.  Paul's  scheme  had  worked  well  so  far  as 
Jo  was  concerned.  She  went  from  red  to  white 
and  sat  looking  straight  ahead.  A  sudden 
silence  fell,  broken  presently  by  Dr.  Paul,  who 
had  been  talking  to  Fraulein  Bauer  and  who 
now  joined  the  others.  "  Have  you  dared  to 
sit  on  a  sofa  lately?"  he  asked  Nan.  He 
turned  to  Mr.  Bingham.  "  Miss  Nan  made 
the  fatal  error  of  taking  her  place  on  a  sofa 
the  very  first  time  she  called  on  a  German 
household." 

"  Yes,"  said  Nan  glad  of  the  change  of  sub- 
ject, "and  you  should  have  seen  the  awful 


332  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

glance  an  old  German  dowager  gave  me.  She 
came  in  just  behind  me.  It  was  her  proper 
place,  of  course.  She  quite  forgave  me,  how- 
ever, when  she  learned  that  I  was  a  barbarous 
American  and  didn't  know  the  customs.  Since 
that  time  I  have  always  taken  the  most  un- 
assuming chair  in  the  room.  But  come,  let's 
get  Fraulein  Bauer  to  tell  us  some  German 
tales.  She  is  very  entertaining,  really,  Mr. 
Bingham,  and  she  looks  quite  out  in  the  cold 
sitting  over  there  by  herself  with  her  knitting. 
She  doesn't  speak  English,  you  know,  but  we 
can  all  understand  enough  German  to  get  on 
all  right." 

They  moved  the  chairs  nearer  the  seat  of 
state  and  the  subject  of  students  was  left  be- 
hind. 

But  after  the  visitors  had  departed  and  the 
girls  were  in  bed  with  the  lights  all  out  from 
the  corner  where  Jo's  bed  stood  came  a  voice : 
"  Girls,  I  have  been  making  a  perfectly  silly 
ass  of  myself,  but  I've  had  my  lesson.  Please 
never  mention  green  caps  to  me  again,  and  do 
say  that  you  do  not  utterly  despise  me." 

"  Of  course  we  don't,  Jo,"  came  promptly 
from  the  other  beds.  And  there  the  matter 
ended  so  far  as  Jo  was  concerned,  though  Nan 
had  a  word  with  the  doctor  later. 

"  Oh,  you  sly  boots,"  she  said.     "  How  well 


Heir  Green-Cap  333 

you  managed,  and  Jo  never  suspected.     There 
you  sat  talking  so  sweetly  to  Fraulein  and  all  the 

time " 

They  both  laughed.  "  Bingham  and  I  thought 
it  was  worth  a  little  manoeuvering,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  even  at  the  risk  of  offending  Miss  Jo,  but 
she  took  it  just  as  we  hoped  she  would,  and  no 
one  is  the  wiser  except  ourselves.  Bingham  is 
the  soul  of  honor  and  as  chivalrous  as  an 
American  gentleman  should  be,  so  our  secret  is 
safe." 


CHAPTER  XVII 


GOOD-BYE  MUNICH 


CHAPTER  XVII 

GOOD-BYE  MUNICH 

FOR  the  rest  of  the  time  things  went  smoothly 
enough,  the  greatest  excitement  being  the 
letter  which  was  finally  received  from  Hans 
Metzger.  Frau  Pfeffer  gave  Nan  the  news 
one  day  when  she  stopped  to  make  inquiries 
of  the  switch-tender.  The  man  had  written  to 
his  sister  before  leaving  the  country,  had  told 
her  of  his  illness  in  Dresden,  but  this  letter 
Frau  Pfeffer  had  never  received.  Now  he 
wrote  that  he  had  a  good  place,  better  than  he 
had  ever  dared  think  he  could  have,  and  would, 
soon  be  able  to  send  for  his  family. 

"His  family,"  exclaimed  Mary  Lee  when 
Nan  told  her.  "  Is  the  whole  outfit  going  ? 
Frau  Pfeffer  and  all  those  children  ?  " 

"I  imagine  so.  Frau  Pfeffer  could  not  re- 
member the  name  of  the  place  where  he  is, 
but  she  says  she  will  send  the  letter  to  us  to 
read." 

Bertha  appeared  the  next  day,  her  little  thin 
face  beaming.  She  looked  very  neat  and 
clean,  her  cheeks  fairly  shining  from  soap  and 


338  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

water,  and  her  light  hair  drawn  tightly  back  in 
two  braids.  The  gracious  ladies  would  please 
read  the  letter  and  she  would  wait  to  take  it 
back  again,  for  it  was  very  precious. 

Nan  and  Mary  Lee  sat  down,  their  heads 
together.  Nan  was  more  proficient  in  de- 
ciphering German  script  than  her  sister  and 
was  the  first  to  recognize  a  certain  name  which 
was  prominent  on  the  page.  She  gave  a  little 
scream  of  surprise.  "  Of  all  things !  Mary 
Lee,  do  see." 

"  What  ?  "  Mary  Lee  did  not  quite  take  in 
what  was  meant. 

"  Why,  look  here,  the  man  with  whom  Hans 
went  over  to  America  is  Mr.  Pinckney's  super- 
intendent, Mr.  Wheeler.  You  know  he  came 
over  to  consult  Mr.  Pinckney  on  business  mat- 
ters and  it  is  Mr.  Pinckney's  big  place  in  New 
Jersey  that  Hans  has  gone  to.  Did  you  ever 
know  anything  so  strange  ?  " 

"  I  truly  never  did.  Are  you  sure,  Nan,  that 
it  is  the  same  ?  " 

"  Why  of  course  it  is.  There  is  the  name  of 
the  place  at  the  head  of  the  paper."  She  turned 
over  the  sheet  and  pointed  out  the  heading. 
"  I  didn't  think  to  look  at  it  at  first.  Mr.  St. 
Nick's  place  is  named  'The  Cedars'  and  there 
is  the  same  post-ornce  address.  I  know  per- 
fectly well,  for  we  wrote  to  Miss  Dolores  when 


Good-Bye  Munich  339 

she  was  there  one  time.  I  should  think  you 
would  remember  that,  Mary  Lee." 

"  I  do  remember,  of  course,  only  I  couldn't 
make  out  the  name  in  that  queer  writing.  It 
can't  help  being  the  same  place.  We  must 
write  to  Mr.  St.  Nick  and  tell  him  all  about  it. 
He  will  be  so  interested,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder 
but  he  would  ship  the  whole  family  right  off ; 
you  know  how  he  did  about  Christine  and  her 
grandfather.  Let's  tell  Bertha." 

They  explained  as  well  as  they  could,  telling 
the  little  girl  that  her  father  was  in  a  fine  place 
and  that  they  would  all  meet  in  America.  As 
they  had  expected,  Mr.  Pinckney  was  greatly 
interested  and  there  came  a  day  not  long  after 
when  Frau  Pfeffer  turned  her  last  switch,  dis- 
carded her  green  hat,  picked  up  her  feather 
bed  and  with  her  children  set  sail  for  America 
to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  Corners,  Jack 
and  Jean  being  specially  pleased  that  they  had 
a  hand  in  the  matter. 

A  last  walk  in  the  Englischer  Garten,  a  last 
look  in  the  windows  of  the  toy  shops,  a  final 
farewell  to  the  pigeons  on  the  Odeonsplatz, 
one  more  promenade  on  the  Parada  and  they 
said  good-bye  to  Munich,  to  kind  Fraulein 
Bauer,  to  the  Hoyts,  to  the  flock  of  schoolboys 
with  whom  they  had  had  so  many  jolly  times. 
Dr.  Paul  took  the  five  damsels  as  far  as  Inns- 


34-O  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

bruck  and  there  delivered  them  into  the  hands 
of  Miss  Helen,  who  came  thus  far  to  meet  them. 
Mrs.  Corner  had  gone  on  to  Verona,  where  they 
would  make  their  next  stop.  The  Hoyts,  with 
a  perfect  phalanx  of  boys,  stood  on  the  platform 
to  see  them  off,  the  boys  sending  a  wild  moun- 
tain cry  after  them  to  the  scandal  of  the  gate- 
keeper who  frowned  at  the  savage  Americans. 

Innsbruck  was  a  fascinating  enough  place  to 
call  for  a  stop  of  twenty-four  hours  and  Dr.  Paul 
lingered  with  them  during  that  time. 

"  I  don't  know  how  we  are  going  to  get 
along  without  you,"  declared  Nan  when  he  had 
put  them  all  on  the  train  for  Verona  and  the 
time  had  come  to  part.  "  Aunt  Helen,  he  has 
been  such  a  comfort ;  just  like  a  nice  big  brother, 
he  is  always  looking  out  for  us.  We  shall  cer- 
tainly miss  you,  Dr.  Paul." 

"  Perhaps  you  don't  think  I  shall  miss  you 
all,"  he  said,  "but  I  shall  keep  telling  myself 
that  it  will  not  be  so  very  long  before  we  all 
shall  meet  again.  Why  couldn't  we  be  fellow 
passengers  across  the  sea?  I  shall  be  sailing 
from  Genoa  and  you  from  Naples  about  the 
same  time.  Have  you  taken  passage  yet,  Miss 
Helen  ?  " 

"Yes,  we  sail  from  Naples  on  the  first  of 
June  by  the  North  German  Lloyd.  Our  steamer 
is  the  Kbnig  Albert,  I  believe." 


Good-Bye  Munich  341 

"  I'll  look  up  my  own  passage  then  and  see 
if  I  can  book  for  the  same  trip,  and  we'll  call 
this  simply  auf  wiedersehn"  So  they  parted, 
he  to  return  to  Munich,  which  would  seem 
sadly  empty  now,  and  they  to  go  on  to  the 
delights  of  Italy. 

At  the  hotel  in  Verona  there  was  a  glad 
meeting  with  their  mutter,  from  whom  they  had 
been  separated  for  all  these  weeks.  There  was 
so  much  to  tell,  that  at  first  there  was  no  desire 
to  go  out  sightseeing,  but  the  second  day  they 
began  to  wake  up  to  the  fact  that  the  city  held 
sights  for  them,  and  then  they  went  forth  to 
behold  them. 

"  What  is  there  to  see  here,  Miss  Helen  ?  " 
Jo  asked. 

"  A  number  of  things.  The  Piazza,  delle 
Erbe,  where  used  to  be  the  old  forum,  is  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  squares  in  Italy.  You 
know  that  it  was  this  city  which  received  Dante 
after  he  was  banished  from  Florence.  You  will 
see  here  many  of  the  pictures  of  Pablo  Caltari, 
the  last  really  great  master  of  the  Venetian 
school ;  you  all  will  know  him  better  as  Paul 
Veronese.  And  of  course  you  know  this  was  the 
home  of  Romeo  and  Juliet.  A  tomb  is  shown 
which  is  said  to  be  Juliet's,  though  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  it  really  is,  and  the  house  of  her  parents  is 
pointed  out." 


The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Were  they  real  people?  I  never  knew 
that,"  said  Jo. 

11  The  play  is  said  to  be  founded  on  fact,  and 
we  are  told  that  it  was  in  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury that  the  two  lovers  lived  and  died.  It 
may  not  be  absolutely  true,  but  tradition  says 
that  there  were  actual  happenings  in  Verona 
which  resembled  those  of  which  Shakespeare 
wrote.  I  think  we  can  spend  a  couple  of  days 
here  very  pleasantly,  for  it  is  a  handsome  city 
as  well  as  an  interesting  one." 

"  And  then  for  San  Marco  and  the  gondolas," 
cried  Nan. 

"  Where  shall  we  go  in  Venice,  to  a  hotel  or 
a  pension  ?"  Mary  Lee  asked. 

"  We  are  going  to  a  pleasant  place  on  the 
Riva  degli  Schiavoni  where  we  shall  have 
rooms  and  breakfast  with  whatever  other  meals 
we  choose  to  have  served.  We  shall  some- 
times be  at  too  great  a  distance  to  get  back 
promptly  to  meals,  so  we  can  always  have  our 
midday  meal,  at  least,  wherever  we  choose." 

"  I  like  that  way  of  doing  things,"  declared 
Jo.  "  One  doesn't  have  to  break  one's  neck 
in  order  to  get  back  in  time  and  there  is  a  sort 
of  excitement  in  the  uncertainty  of  what  you 
are  going  to  get  and  the  kind  of  place  you  will 
strike." 

For  two  days  they  wandered  about  Verona, 


Good-Bye  Munich  343 

looking  at  the  old  painted  houses,  the  palaces, 
the  churches,  and  then  the  expectant  hearts  of 
at  least  three  of  the  girls  beat  high  as  they 
neared  Venice. 

"  I  see  a  red  sail,"  cried  Mary  Lee,  looking 
from  the  car  window. 

"  And  there  is  a  yellow  one,"  announced 
Jean.  "  Oh,  look,  there  are  lots  and  lots  of 
boats  and  more  colored  sails." 

"  Are  we  going  in  a  gondola  first  thing  ?  " 
asked  Jack.  "If  the  streets  are  all  water  we 
shall  have  to,  shan't  we  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  her  mother  told  her.  "  The  gondolas 
are  the  cabs  of  Venice  and  will  take  us  any- 
where we  want  to  go." 

"  I'm  just  crivering,"  said  Jean  as  they 
stepped  aboard  the  black  craft  which  Mrs. 
Corner  had  selected. 

"  Sit  down  with  your  crivers,"  directed  Nan. 
"  Isn't  it  too  delicious  for  anything?  I  foresee 
where  all  my  spending  money  goes ;  hiring 
gondolas  and  just  drifting  up  and  down  be- 
tween these  old  palaces." 

"But  you  must  buy  beads.  You  promised 
half  a  dozen  girls  to  bring  them  some,"  Mary 
Lee  reminded  her. 

"Don't  talk  to  me  of  beads  yet.  Look  at 
that  red  cloth  hanging  out  from  that  balcony, 
Jo.  Now  I  know  we  are  in  Venice.  It  looks 


344          Tne  Four  Corners  Abroad 

exactly  like  the  pictures.  I  am  sure  that 
church  we  are  coming  to  is  the  Santa  Maria 
della  Salute." 

"  Where  are  the  pigeons?  "  asked  Jean. 

"  They  are  on  the  Piazza  San  Marco  ;  we 
haven't  come  to  that  yet,"  Nan  told  her.  "  Do 
we  turn  off  here  ?  What  is  that  place  over 
there,  Aunt  Helen  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  little  island  and  church  of  San 
Giorgio  Maggiore,  and  next  to  it  across  that 
broad  canal  is  the  island  of  Giudecca.  The 
canal  has  the  same  name  ;  the  church  is  called 
the  Redentore." 

The  gondola  turned  out  of  the  Grand  Canal 
into  the  canal  of  San  Marco  and  soon  its  pas- 
sengers alighted  in  front  of  a  house  on  the 
Riva  degli  Schiavoni  where  they  were  expected 
and  where  they  found  letters  waiting  for  them. 

"  When  can  we  go  to  the  glass  factory  ? 
When  can  we  go  to  the  bead  shop  ?  How  soon 
are  you  going  to  take  us  to  feed  the  pigeons  ? 
When  shall  we  be  ready  for  another  ride  in  a 
gondola  ?  "  were  the  questions  showered  on  Miss 
Helen  by  her  nieces  as  soon  as  they  had  looked 
their  rooms  over  and  had  decided  where  they 
would  put  their  belongings. 

"  We  can't  do  all  those  things  at  once,  you 
badgering  youngsters.  Let  me  see  what  time 
it  is.  No  bead  shop  and  no  glass  factory,  any- 


Good-Bye  Munich 

how,  to-day.  If  it  isn't  too  late  we  will  walk 
over  to  the  Piazza,  and  if  the  pigeons  are  there 
they  shall  be  fed.  As  for  the  gondola,  we'll 
see  about  that  later." 

The  light  had  not  left  the  sky  when  they 
stood  on  the  Piazza  San  Marco.  The  rich 
mosaics  of  the  beautiful  church  caught  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun,  the  pigeons  were  wheeling 
about  overhead,  and  settling  down  in  crowds 
upon  the  pavement. 

"  It  beats  anything  I  have  ever  seen  yet," 
said  Jo  admiringly.  "Just  look  at  those  great 
horses  over  the  church  door.  Where  did  they 
come  from  ?  Tell  us,  Miss  Helen." 

Miss  Helen  turned  over  the  leaves  of  her 
Baedeker.  "  They  are  five  feet  high  and  are 
among  the  finest  of  ancient  bronzes.  They 
probably  once  adorned  the  triumphal  arch  of 
Nero  and  after  of  Trajan.  Constantine  sent 
them  to  Constantinople.  The  Doge  Dandolo 
brought  them  to  Venice  in  1204.  In  1797 
Napoleon  carried  them  to  Paris  where  later 
they  adorned  the  triumphal  arch  in  the  Place 
du  Carousel.  In  1815  they  were  restored  to 
Venice  and  set  up  where  you  now  see  them." 

The  older  girls  listened  attentively  while  the 
younger  ones  were  absorbed  in  watching  the 
pigeons  who  had  not  yet  gone  to  roost  under 
the  arches  of  the  church. 


346  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  I  am  glad  they  were  brought  back  here," 
said  Nan,  "and  I  hope  they  will  never  be 
taken  away  again.  They  give  such  an  air  to 
the  church,  a  triumphal  note,  and  are  quite  a 
different  decoration  from  those  you  usually 
see  on  churches.  Are  we  going  inside,  Aunt 
Helen?" 

"  I  think  we'd  better  wait  till  morning  to  do 
that.  We  shall  probably  want  to  come  here 
many  times.  Just  now  we  will  enjoy  the  out- 
side of  the  church  and  the  Piazza,  for  it  is  the 
centre  of  interest  here,  and  there  is  always 
something  to  see." 

"  I  should  think  there  was,"  said  Jack,  whose 
attention  had  been  drawn  from  the  pigeons  to 
the  clock  tower  where  the  two  bronze  giants 
were  preparing  to  strike  the  hours.  Jean  with 
a  pigeon  on  each  shoulder  and  one  pecking  at 
the  peas  in  her  hand  was  perfectly  happy,  but 
at  Jack's  words  turned  her  eyes  toward  the 
tower  at  which  they  were  all  looking. 

"  There  do  seem  to  be  a  lot  of  people  here," 
said  Jo  when  the  last  stroke  of  the  giants' 
hammers  had  ceased.  "  But  I  thought  the 
Rialto  was  the  great  meeting-place.  Don't 
you  know  the  common  expression,  'I'll  meet 
you  on  the  Rialto '  ? "  Then  after  a  pause, 
"  What  is  the  Rialto,  anyhow,  Miss  Helen  ?  " 

"What  we  mean  by  the  Rialto  now  is  the 


Good-Bye  Munich  347 

great  bridge  which  for  many  years  was  the 
only  connecting  one  between  the  east  and  west 
sections  of  the  city.  Formerly  it  meant  the 
section  of  the  city  where  ancient  Venice  was 
built,  and  Baedeker  says  it  was  this  section  and 
not  the  bridge  which  is  referred  to  in  'The 
Merchant  of  Venice,'  and  the  expression  to 
which  you  just  referred  is  from  the  play." 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Jo,  "  when  you  get  at  the 
core  of  things  how  much  more  interesting  they 
are." 

"Of  course  we  shall  go  to  the  Rialto," 
said  Nan.  "  How  do  you  get  there,  Aunt 
Helen?" 

"  From  where  we  are  we  can  go  under  the 
clock  tower  and  walk  up  the  Merceria,  which  is 
the  principal  business  street  of  Venice,  and  has 
a  number  of  good  shops  on  it." 

"  Is  it  a  real  street  ?  Do  we  have  to  go  from 
shop  to  shop  in  a  gondola?"  Jo  asked. 

"  No,  indeed,  we  walk  along  comfortably  on 
dry  ground." 

"  But  I  thought  Venice  was  all  water." 

"  There  is  a  part  of  it  which  is  quite  like  any 
other  city,  and  where  you  will  find  no  sug- 
gestion of  water  for  quite  a  distance.  This 
part  is  where  the  ancient  city  was  founded,  and 
is  an  island  which  was  known  as  Rivoalto. 
You  will  read  about  it  in  a  history  of  Venice." 


348  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Then  I  suppose  Rialto  is  a  contraction  of 
the  name  of  the  island,  Rivoalto,"  remarked 
Nan. 

"  Exactly.  Over  by  the  bridge  there  is  a 
market  which  you  will  like  to  see,  for  you  will 
find  many  Venetian  types  there,  and  moreover 
can  buy  excellent  fruit.  There  are  some  odd 
sorts  of  shops,  too,  that  are  interesting  to  look 
into." 

"Well,"  said  Jo  after  a  pause,  "I  am  flab- 
bergasted. I  had  such  a  very  different  idea  of 
the  city.  I  thought  it  was  all  like  the  Grand 
Canal,  and  that  what  shops  there  were  must  be 
reached  by  skipping  over  bridges,  unless  one 
went  in  a  gondola.  I  am  quite  curious  to  see 
that  part  you  speak  of." 

"  We  shall  go  there  more  than  once  before 
we  get  through,  and  you  will  find  that  there 
will  be  some  little  bridges  to  cross  even  in  that 
part  of  the  city.  You  will  want  to  go  to  Santa 
Maria  Formosa  to  see  the  St.  Barbara,  which  is 
one  of  Nan's  favorites.  She  has  always  admired 
the  photograph  which  I  have  of  it  and  now  she 
can  see  the  original." 

Nan  beamed.  "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  I  am  here. 
I  believe,  now  I  think  of  it,  that  I  have  always 
wanted  to  see  Venice  more  than  any  other 
place,  and  I  am  actually  here." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  Jean  ?  "  said  Mary 


Good-Bye  Munich 

Lee,  for  Jean  had  given  a  sudden  cry  of  pleas- 
ure, had  scattered  her  dried  peas  to  right  and 
left  and  had  flown  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
clock  tower. 

All  turned  to  look  and  were  surprised  to  see 
Mary  Lee,  too,  following  Jean's  example. 

"  If  it  isn't  Mr.  St.  Nick  and  Miss  Dolores," 
cried  Nan,  who  being  the  tallest  had  first  caught 
sight  of  the  couple  toward  whom  the  other  two 
were  making  their  way. 

All  hurried  forward  to  greet  these  good 
friends.  "  When  did  you  come  ?  and  where  are 
you  staying,  and  why  didn't  you  let  us  know  ?  " 
The  questions  came  thick  and  fast. 

It  turned  out  that  the  Pinckneys  had  been  in 
Venice  for  two  days,  were  stopping  at  a  hotel 
near  the  Palace  of  the  Doges.  They  had  writ- 
ten to  the  Corners,  but  the  letter  had  probably 
arrived  in  Munich  after  the  girls  had  left. 

"  Well,  well,  this  is  more  fun  than  a  barrel  of 
monkeys  !  "  Mr.  Pinckney's  jolly  laugh  rang 
out.  "Just  stay  long  enough  on  the  Piazza. 
and  you're  sure  to  meet  every  one  you  know,  I 
was  just  saying  to  Dolores.  Now,  what's  on 
for  this  evening  ?  It  is  going  to  be  a  glorious 
night.  Why  can't  we  all  go  out  and  take  it 
easy  in  a  gondola  or  so  ?  It  is  plenty  warm 
enough  and  will  be  no  exertion,  either,  that's 
what  pleases  me.  There'll  be  music;  we  can 


35°  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

listen  to  it  when  we  choose  and  when  we  don't 
choose  we  can  talk.  What  do  you  all  say  ?  " 

"  Please,  please,  please,"  came  a  chorus  of 
entreaty  from  the  girls. 

"  I  think  it  is  a  lovely  plan,"  agreed  Miss 
Helen.  "What  do  you  say,  Mary?" 

Mrs.  Corner  did  not  object.  There  would  be 
nothing  wearisome  about  it  but  quite  the  con- 
trary. So  they  parted  to  meet  later  at  the  steps 
of  the  Ducal  palace. 

It  was  the  softest  of  spring  nights  with  a 
faint  afterglow  in  the  sky  and  a  rising  moon 
when  they  set  out.  Long  beams  of  light 
trembled  on  the  dark  waters,  light  from  the 
windows  of  palaces,  from  prows  of  gondolas, 
from  the  moonlit  skies.  The  party  divided 
since  they  were  too  many  for  one  gondola. 
Mary  Lee  and  Jean  elected  to  go  with  Mrs. 
Corner  and  Miss  Dolores ;  the  others  chose 
Miss  Helen  and  Mr.  Pinckney  as  companions. 
It  was  a  new  and  exciting  experience  but  to 
none  more  than  to  Nan  and  Jo.  Mary  Lee  was 
absorbed  in  Miss  Dolores ;  Jack  in  chatting  to 
Mr.  Pinckney. 

"  Isn't  it  wonderful  ? "  Nan  whispered  to 
her  aunt.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  were  living  a  hundred 
years  ago,  and  that  these  old  palaces  were 
not  melancholy  places  given  over  for  pensions 
and  tourists." 


Good-Bye  Munich 

"  They're  not  all  that,  Nan." 

"No,  of  course  not,  but  the  old  glory  has 
passed.  Yet,  how  beautiful  it  still  is  here." 

"It  is  beautiful  under  any  circumstances, 
and  what  a  history  the  place  has  had.  With 
how  many  different  nations  has  Venice  been 
connected,  and  what  changes  she  has  seen  ! " 

"  When  was  she  at  the  height  of  her 
glory?" 

"  In  the  fifteenth  century,  and  a  great  re- 
public she  was  then,  but  her  magnificence 
began  to  wane  in  the  sixteenth  century.  She 
has  since  twice  belonged  to  Austria,  has  be- 
longed to  Italy,  has  been  a  republic,  and  at 
last  was  again  united  to  Italy." 

"  I  don't  like  to  think  of  her  as  anything  but 
Italian." 

"  She  has  had  many  Oriental  influences 
which  are  still  very  evident  and  make  her 
different  from  other  Italian  cities.  She  used  to 
be  the  centre  where  the  traffic  of  both  the  East 
and  West  met  and  under  her  Doges  held  many 
Eastern  possessions.  We  must  get  some 
books,  Nan,  and  read  up  so  you  will  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  past  of  the  queen  of 
the  Adriatic." 

"  Indeed,  I  do  want  to  do  that.  I  should 
love  to  have  seen  that  ceremony  of  wedding 
her  to  the  sea." 


352  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  We  live  in  too  late  an  age  for  all  the  old 
romances  and  poetry  except  what  still  lingers 
through  association  and  imagination.  So 
quiet,  Jo  ?  It  isn't  like  you  not  to  have  a  word 
to  say." 

"  I'm  listening,  Miss  Helen,  and  am  having 
such  a  good  time  that  I  am  hugging  myself 
for  want  of  a  better  way  to  express  my  delight. 
I  do  love  all  this  so  much  better  than  I  ex- 
pected to.  I'm  afraid  I  hadn't  given  much 
thought  to  the  places  over  here  till  I  actually 
came.  They  were  names  that  I  ticked  off 
something  like  this  :  Paris — gay  streets  and 
shops ;  good  place  to  get  smart  clothes. 
London — fogs,  omnibuses,  Dickens'  stories ; 
Munich — beer,  picture-galleries.  Venice — gon- 
dolas ;  all  water." 

Miss  Helen  laughed.  "That  is  the  way 
those  places  appear  in  the  minds  of  a  good 
many  persons,  I'm  afraid.  You  are  glad  you 
came,  Jo,  aren't  you  ?  I  remember  Nan  said 
you  were  not  very  enthusiastic  at  first." 

"You  bet  I'm  glad."  Jo  spoke  with  more 
force  than  elegance.  "  I  could  bat  my  head 
against  the  wall  when  I  think  of  what  a  goose 
I  was  about  coming.  What  an  ignoramus  I 
was  not  to  study  up  more  before  I  came.  Nan 
enjoys  things  and  gets  so  excited  over  them 
lots  of  times  when  I  don't  know  what  in  the 


Good-Bye  Munich 

world  she  is  driving  at.  Then  by  the  time  I 
have  learned  a  little  history  and  stuff  it  is  time 
to  leave,  and  there  is  not  any  chance  for  my 
enthusiasm  to  break  out.  I  can't  imagine  how 
Daniella  kept  up  with  her  party.  You  all  are 
way  ahead  of  me  when  it  comes  to  literature 
and  pictures  and  things,  and  what  must  she 
have  been  ?  " 

"  At  least  she  got  a  taste  of  the  sweets,"  said 
Miss  Helen,  "  and  I  have  not  a  doubt  but  that 
it  will  awaken  her  ambition  as  nothing  else 
could  do." 

"  She  always  had  plenty  of  ambition,"  said 
Nan,  "  but  she  knew  scarcely  anything  of  what 
was  outside  a  very  small  world." 

"And  the  way  she  will  work  to  keep  up  with 
her  new  self  will  be  a  caution,"  said  Jo.  "  Dear 
me,"  she  sighed,  "  there's  the  trouble  ;  when  you 
don't  know  and  haven't  seen  you  feel  twice  as 
complacent.  You  have  a  few  rather  nice  ideas 
and  some  little  knowledge,  Jo  Keyes,  I  patted 
myself  on  the  head  and  said,  but  now,  gracious ! 
I  feel  as  if  I  didn't  know  as  much  as  one  of  the 
San  Marco  pigeons." 

"So  much  the  better,"  Miss  Helen  told  her. 
"There  is  nothing  so  hopeless  as  self-com- 
placency. You  will  forge  ahead  now,  Jo,  with 
twice  the  ardor  you  did  before." 

Just  then  a  sudden  hail  from  a  passing  gon- 


354  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

dola  startled  them  all.  Some  one  was  standing 
up  waving  his  hat  violently.  "  Hallo,  Nan 
Corner !  Hallo,  Jack !  "  came  a  voice  as  the 
gondola  swung  alongside. 

Jack  peered  into  the  neighboring  bark  and 
cried  out,  "  Carter  !  It's  Carter,  Nan.  I  know 
it  is." 

"  Is  that  you,  Carter  Barnwell  ?  "  asked  Nan 
leaning  forward.  "  Of  all  things  !  " 

"  That's  just  who,"  was  the  reply ;  "  and  an- 
other friend  of  yours." 

"  Who  ?  "     Nan  again  leaned  forward. 

"  Howdy,  Miss  Nan,"  came  a  second  greet- 
ing. 

"It's  Harold  Kirk,  my  cousin,  you  know," 
Carter  said. 

"  Well,  I  declare  !  Aunt  Helen,  it  is  Carter 
and  Mr.  Kirk." 

"  I  wish  there  were  room  in  here  for  you 
boys,"  said  Miss  Helen. 

"  Can't  we  divide  up  ?  "  asked  Carter.  "  One 
of  us  will  get  in  there  with  you  and  some  of 
you  can  come  in  here  with  us." 

"  Rather  a  difficult  proceeding,"  said  Miss 
Helen  laughing. 

"  I  didn't  mean  that  exactly,"  said  Carter 
laughing,  too.  "  Who  all  are  in  there  ?  " 

"  Nan,  Miss  Jo  Keys  and  Jack,  besides  Mr. 
Pinckney  and  myself,"  Miss  Helen  told  him. 


Good-Bye  Munich 

Mr.  Pinckney  had  given  but  a  word  of  formal 
greeting. 

"  Suppose  I  get  in,"  proposed  Carter,  with  a 
look  at  his  companion.  "Who  will  change 
with  me?" 

"  I'm  willing  to,"  Nan  offered,  "  if  Aunt  Helen 
will  come  with  me."  So  it  was  arranged.  The 
gondolas  were  brought  together  and  the  ex- 
change made. 

The  third  gondola  was  lagging  a  consider- 
able distance  in  the  rear  of  the  others,  so  that 
its  occupants  were  not  yet  seen.  As  Mr.  Pinck- 
ney and  his  party  were  about  to  start  ahead, 
Mr.  Pinckney  peremptorily  ordered  the  gondo- 
lier to  take  second  place,  so  it  was  Mr.  Kirk 
and  his  friends  who  led  the  way. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
JACK  AS  CHAMPION 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

JACK  AS  CHAMPION 

Miss  HELEN  had  not  met  Mr.  Kirk  before, 
but  she  had  heard  all  about  him,  of  how  he  had 
come  upon  Jean  in  the  lobby  of  a  theatre  in 
New  York  when  she  was  looking  for  her  friends 
— she  had  escaped  from  them  in  order  to  visit 
the  fairy  queen  of  a  little  play  to  which  Mr. 
Pinckney  had  taken  the  Corner  girls — of  how 
Jean  had  been  taken  under  the  young  man's 
wing,  and  how  she  had  dined  with  him  and  had 
finally  been  brought  back  safely  to  Mr.  Pinck- 
ney's  house.  Because  of  all  this  Mr.  Pinckney 
had  invited  the  young  man  to  Christmas  dinner 
and  so  his  acquaintance  with  them  all  began. 
Miss  Helen  did  not  know,  however,  neither  did 
the  Corners,  that  it  was  partly  on  account  of 
this  young  Marylander  that  Mr.  Pinckney  had 
brought  his  granddaughter  abroad,  and  that  it 
was  because  of  his  presence  that  he  had  kept 
the  first  and  third  gondolas  apart.  For,  kind- 
hearted  though  he  was,  and  devoted  though  he 
might  be  to  his  granddaughter,  when  it  be- 
came apparent  that  young  Harold  Kirk  had 
more  than  a  passing  interest  in  the  lovely 


360  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Dolores,  Mr.  Pinckney  straightway  bore  her 
off  to  Europe,  hoping  that  it  would  be  "  out  of 
sight,  out  of  mind  "  on  both  sides. 

To  be  sure  he  was  only  carrying  out  a  plan 
which  he  had  determined  upon  some  time  be- 
fore, when  he  took  his  granddaughter  abroad, 
and  he  hoped  she  would  not  discover  any  other 
than  the  original  intention.  He  meant  to  stay 
long  enough  to  "  put  a  stop  to  any  foolishness," 
so  he  told  himself.  Some  day  in  the  indefinite 
future  she  might  marry,  but  not  yet.  He  had 
no  special  objection  to  Harold  Kirk,  in  fact  he 
rather  liked  him,  but  he  wanted  no  man  to  step 
in  to  take  his  place  in  the  affections  of  the 
granddaughter  he  had  lately  discovered.  When, 
therefore,  the  young  man  made  his  appearance 
upon  the  scene,  Mr.  Pinckney  was  annoyed,  to 
say  the  least.  He  had  promised  himself  a  good 
time  here  in  Venice  with  the  Corner  children, 
of  whom  he  was  very  fond,  but  now  all  his 
plans  were  upset.  He  would  leave  at  once. 

So  he  sat  silently  meditating  upon  the  turn 
of  affairs  while  the  gondolas  slipped  through 
the  water,  and  Jack  and  Jo  chatted  to  Carter 
Barnwell.  Jack  adored  Carter,  and  she  was  a 
great  favorite  of  his.  They  had  been  fast  com- 
rades in  California  and  were  ready  to  resume 
the  comradeship  on  the  old  footing.  After  the 
first  few  questions  which  Mr.  Pinckney  put  to 


Jack  as  Champion  061 

Carter  about  Mrs.  Roberts,  Mr.  Pinckney's 
daughter,  with  whom  Carter  had  been  making 
his  home,  the  old  gentleman  let  the  young 
people  have  it  all  their  own  way,  seldom  making 
a  remark  unless  in  answer  to  some  question  put 
directly  to  him. 

Meanwhile  those  in  the  gondola,  which  was 
in  the  lead,  were  talking  of  many  things.  Har- 
old Kirk  put  a  few  polite  questions  about  the 
movements  of  the  party,  but  at  first  made  no 
reference  to  the  Pinckneys.  Miss  Helen  was  a 
stranger  to  him,  and  his  own  affairs  were  to  be 
set  aside  while  he  entertained  the  two  with  him. 

"What  I  want  to  know,"  said  Nan  after  a 
while,  "  is  how  you  happened  to  come  across 
Carter.  You  know  his  mother  is  an  old  school 
friend  of  Aunt  Helen's,  and  we  met  him  in 
California.  He  and  Jack  are  the  greatest 
cronies." 

"  He  has  talked  to  me  a  great  deal  about 
Jack.  He  is  a  cousin  of  mine,  you  know." 

"  I  didn't  know.  Oh,  you  must  be  his 
Cousin  Hal  we  have  heard  him  speak  of.  I 
didn't  recognize  the  abbreviation."  Nan  was 
just  at  the  age  when  she  rather  liked  to  use  big 
words. 

"  His  mother  and  mine  are  sisters."  Mr.  Kirk 
gave  the  information. 

"Then    you    are    Byrd    Carter's   son,"    ex- 


362  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

claimed  Miss  Helen.  "  I  have  met  her,  for  you 
know  your  aunt,  Mrs.  Barnwell,  is  a  great  friend 
of  mine." 

This  put  them  all  on  a  closer  footing.  There 
were  questions  to  ask  and  to  answer  about 
families  and  friends,  and  at  last  Nan  came  back 
to  the  original  subject  of  how  he  and  Carter 
happened  to  come  over  together. 

"  Carter  looked  me  up  in  New  York,"  Mr. 
Kirk  told  them.  "  His  father  has  given  him 
this  trip,  and  the  doctor  said  he  was  so  much 
better  that  it  would  do  him  no  harm,  so  long 
as  he  avoided  harsh  climates.  He  will  get 
back  home  before  the  November  winds  become 
too  much  for  him.  I  think  in  time  the  boy  will 
outgrow  that  early  tendency  to  lung  trouble 
which  took  him  to  California.  Yet  he  likes  it 
out  there,  and  will  probably  settle  down  for 
good.  Well,  he  urged  me  to  come  with  him, 
said  he  hated  to  make  the  trip  alone,  said  he 
would  meet  the  Corner  family  somewhere — 
and — well,  the  temptation  was  too  great,  so  I 
came  to  spend  my  summer  holiday  here  instead 
of  going  to  Maine  or  the  Catskills." 

"  Had  you  met  the  Pinckneys  here  in  Venice 
before  you  came  across  us  ?  "  asked  Nan  inno- 
cently. 

"No." 

"  Why,  we  are  all  together,  you  know.     Mr. 


Jack  as  Champion  363 

Pinckney  is  in  that  next  gondola,  and  Miss 
Dolores  is  with  mother  and  Mary  Lee  in  the 
one  behind  that." 

Mr.  Kirk  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "  Do  you 
know  how  long  they  are  going  to  stay  ?  "  he 
asked  after  a  moment. 

"  Oh,  for  some  time."  Nan  was  positive. 
"As  long  as  we  do  and  we  shall  be  here  at 
least  a  week  or  ten  days,  shan't  we,  Aunt 
Helen?" 

Miss  Helen  assured  her  that  they  would  stay 
not  less  time  than  that. 

"  Then  we  shall  all  have  jolly  times  together," 
said  Nan  delightedly.  "  Now,  don't  you  want 
to  see  mother  and  Miss  Dolores  and  Jean? 
Suppose  we  tell  our  gondolier  to  turn  back  and 
go  alongside,  shall  we,  Mr.  Kirk?" 

The  young  man  agreed  very  readily.  There 
were  many  gondolas  out  upon  the  canal,  and 
in  the  process  of  turning  others  came  between 
them  and  the  one  in  which  Mr.  Pinckney  sat, 
so  he  did  not  observe  but  that  Mr.  Kirk's  was 
still  in  the  lead,  and  was  not  in  the  least  aware 
that  Mr.  Kirk  had  greeted  Miss  Dolores  and 
the  rest  of  the  way  was  sitting  by  her  side  while 
Nan  and  her  aunt  drifted  on  solely  in  each 
other's  company. 

"  Where  is  Hal  ?  "  asked  Carter  as  the  gon- 
dola in  which  he  was  at  last  stopped  at  the  Riva 


364  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

della  Schiavoni  to  discharge  its  passengers.  "  I 
thought  he  was  just  ahead,"  he  added  looking 
around. 

Mr.  Pinckney  frowned,  for  no  gondola  was 
near,  but  after  a  few  minutes  up  came  two. 
From  the  first  stepped  Mr.  Kirk  who  helped 
Mrs.  Corner  ashore,  then  Jean,  then  Miss 
Dolores.  Mr.  Pinckney' s  frown  grew  deeper, 
and  it  was  quite  light  enough  for  Jack  to  catch 
the  expression. 

"  Oh,  how  cross  you  look,"  she  cried.  "  I 
never  saw  you  look  so  cross.  Don't  you  like 
the  gondolier,  Mr.  St.  Nick?  Did  he  cheat 
you?" 

"  No,"  growled  Mr.  Pinckney,  "  but  some  one 
else  did." 

Jack  wondered  who  it  could  be.  Maybe  it 
was  one  of  the  old  men  they  called  "  Rampini," 
who  drew  the  gondolas  ashore  with  his  iron 
hook.  It  was  clearly  her  duty  to  put  Mr.  St. 
Nick  in  a  good  humor.  She  had  deserted  him 
for  Carter  and  maybe  he  didn't  like  it.  So  she 
caught  hold  of  his  hand  and  smiled  up  into  his 
face. 

"  I  think  you  are  awfully  nice,  even  when 
you  frown,  Mr.  St.  Nick,"  she  said,  "and  I 
should  like  Carter  to  look  just  like  you  when 
he  grows  old." 

"  You  should,  should  you  ?  "     Mr.  Pinckney 


Jack  as  Champion  365 

had  to  look  a  little  more  pleasant  for  Miss 
Dolores  was  walking  with  Mary  Lee  and  Carter, 
while  Mr.  Kirk  was  escorting  Miss  Helen  and 
Mrs.  Corner.  "Then  I  suppose  you  expect  to 
see  him  around  then  just  as  you  do  now." 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Jack.  "  I  am  going  to 
marry  him,  you  know." 

"  You  are  ?  Well,  all  I  have  to  say  is  that 
you  are  looking  pretty  far  ahead." 

"  I  like  to  look  ahead,"  Jack  informed  him. 
"  I  like  to  think  of  next  Christmas  and  of  my 
birthday  and  of  our  getting  back  home  and  all 
the  nice  things.  Don't  you  like  to  look  ahead, 
Mr.  St.  Nick?" 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do.  I  prefer  to  en- 
joy the  present  moment." 

"  Are  you  enjoying  the  present  moment  ?  " 

"You  little  outrageous  coquette  !  here  you've 
been  talking  to  that  boy  all  the  evening,  and 
now  you're  trying  to  make  up  with  me.  I  see 
through  your  wiles." 

Jack  looked  very  serious.  "  But  you  see," 
she  began  by  way  of  excuse,  "  I  hadn't  seen 
Carter  for  such  a  long  while  ;  not  since  we  were 
in  California,  you  know.  He  has  written  to 
me  lots  of  times,  but  that  isn't  like  seeing  a 
person.  Let's  talk  about  what  we'"re  going  to 
do  to-morrow,"  she  said  after  a  moment,  and 
setting  aside  what  was  a  uselessly  unpleasant 


366  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

subject.  "  I  think  we  shall  have  a  lovely  time 
to-morrow.  Will  you  go  with  us  to  feed  the 
pigeons  the  first  thing  ?  " 

Mr.  Pinckney  was  silent  for  a  little.  "  We 
shall  probably  not  be  here,"  he  said  presently. 

"  Not  be  here  ?  "  Jack  dropped  his  hand  in 
her  surprise.  "  Why,  Mr.  St.  Nick,  I  think  that 
is  awfully  mean  when  we  have  just  come. 
Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  exactly." 

Jack  looked  up  at  him  earnestly.  She  was 
a  shrewd  little  body,  strong  in  her  intuitions. 
Early  in  the  evening  there  had  been  plenty  of 
plans  discussed.  What  should  suddenly  de- 
cide Mr.  St.  Nick  to  go?  At  all  events  she 
would  do  her  best  to  persuade  him  to  stay. 
"  But  you're  not  going  right  after  breakfast, 
are  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Probably." 

"  And  you  won't  do  any  of  the  things  you 
said  you  would?  You  won't  take  us  to  the 
bead  shop  nor  the  glass  factory  nor  anywhere?  " 
This  was  the  more  astonishing  that  Mr.  St.  Nick 
was  the  one  who  always  delighted  in  doing  any- 
thing and  everything  he  could  for  the  children's 
entertainment. 

But  there  was  no  time  for  a  reply  just  then 
as  they  had  reached  their  lodgings  and  the 
good-nights  must  be  said.  Jack  noticed  that 


Jack  as  Champion  067 

neither  Carter  nor  Mr.  Kirk  accompanied  Mr. 
Pinckney  and  Miss  Dolores,  but  that  Mr.  St. 
Nick  hurried  Miss  Dolores  away,  leaving  the 
young  people  still  making  their  farewells.  She 
kept  her  counsel,  however,  until  she  and  her 
sisters  were  in  their  rooms  ;  then  she  whispered 
to  Nan,  "  I  want  to  tell  you  something.  May  I 
get  in  bed  with  you  ?  " 

Nan  consented  and  for  half  an  hour  there 
was  much  whispering  going  on,  then  Jack  crept 
into  the  other  bed  where  Jean  was  already  sound 
asleep.  It  was  all  very  puzzling  and  provok- 
ing, but  perhaps  Mr.  St.  Nick  would  change 
his  mind  before  the  next  day. 

Nan  and  the  twins  occupied  one  room,  Mary 
Lee  and  Jo  the  other  adjoining,  but  Mary  Lee 
and  Nan  were  talking  earnestly  in  the  larger 
room  when  Jack  opened  her  eyes  the  follow- 
ing morning.  They  were  talking  about  Miss 
Dolores,  she  soon  ascertained. 

"I  think  it  is  a  shame,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "I 
know  she  likes  him  and  I  know  he  came  over 
because  she  was  here,  and  did  you  see  how 
cross  he  looked?" 

Jack  wondered  who  these  various  hes  could 
be.  Who  was  it  that  had  come  on  Miss  Do- 
lores'  account  ?  She  knew  well  enough  who  it 
was  who  had  looked  cross,  and  Mary  Lee  had 
noticed  the  frown,  too. 


368  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"And  don't  you  think  it  is  horrid  for  him  to 
jerk  her  away  just  as  he  has  come  ?  "  said  Nan. 
"  He  told  Jack  they  were  going  to-day,  and 
didn't  say  where." 

"He  did ? "  More  hes  and  hers  and  a  puz- 
zling mix  up  of  pronouns.  Jack  listened  more 
eagerly.  Of  course  she  could  easily  make  out 
that  it  was  Mr.  St.  Nick  who  had  told  of  going 
away. 

"  I  don't  see  what  makes  him  act  so,"  Mary 
Lee  went  on.  "  He  never  was  like  this  before 
in  all  the  time  we  have  known  him.  I'm  sure 
Mr.  Kirk  is  just  as  nice  as  can  be,  and  in  the 
beginning  he  treated  him  so  cordially  and  now 
just  because  he  and  Miss  Dolores  are  in  love 
with  each  other  you  would  suppose  the  poor 
fellow  had  committed  a  crime." 

So  that  was  it ;  Miss  Dolores  and  Mr.  Kirk 
were  in  love  with  each  other  and  Mr.  St.  Nick 
was  cross  about  it.  Why  couldn't  he  let  them 
marry  and  all  of  them  live  together?  Jack  was 
sure  it  was  a  beautiful  plan,  and  one  that  he 
had  probably  never  thought  of.  He  was  sup- 
posing that  Mr.  Kirk  would  want  to  take  Miss 
Dolores  away.  There  wasn't  the  slightest  need 
of  that  she  could  tell  him  and  so  she  would. 
She  decided  not  to  delay  the  matter.  Jack 
always  wanted  to  rush  a  thing  through  as  soon 
as  an  idea  came  into  her  head.  She  jumped 


Jack  as  Champion  369 

up,  not  noticing  the  "Sh!"  with  which  Nan 
warned  Mary  Lee  that  she  was  not  to  continue 
the  subject,  and  was  not  long  in  making  herself 
ready  for  the  day. 

The  hotel  where  the  Pinckneys  were  stop- 
ping was  not  far  away,  and  to  it  Jack  hastened, 
not  staying  to  notice  the  effect  of  the  morning 
light  upon  the  water,  the  sun-touched  buildings 
on  the  islands  opposite,  nor  the  boatmen  out 
early.  She  was  bent  upon  her  errand.  It  was 
a  direct  way  along  the  Riva  della  Schiavoni, 
as  Jack  well  remembered,  for  her  bump  of 
locality  did  not  often  lead  her  astray.  As  at 
all  large  hotels  over  the  Continent,  English  was 
spoken,  the  little  girl  was  nothing  daunted 
when  she  walked  in  and  asked  for  Mr.  Pinckney. 
She  knew  the  senorita  preferred  to  take  her 
chocolate  and  rolls  in  her  own  room,  but  that 
Mr.  Pinckney  had  not  taken  kindly  to  this  habit, 
and  would  follow  the  custom  of  going  to  the 
breakfast-room.  She  would  be  asked  to  j oin  him, 
no  doubt,  and  it  was  with  some  pleasure  that  she 
considered  the  prospect.  She  would  take  an 
orange,  jam  for  her  bread,  and  some  weak,  very 
much  sweetened  coffee,  also  a  very  hard-boiled 

egg- 
She  did  not  have  to  wait  long  before  the  old 
gentleman  came  trotting  into  the  room  where 
she    was    waiting,    fresh    and   rosy  from  his 


37°  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

toilet.  He  was  always  immaculate,  and  since 
the  discovery  of  his  granddaughter  he  was 
more  than  ever  particular  about  his  personal 
appearance ;  his  beard  was  more  closely 
trimmed,  his  neckties  and  waistcoats  more  care- 
fully chosen. 

"  Well,  well,  well ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  this  is  a 
surprise.  Come  to  have  breakfast  with  me? 
Let's  go  right  in.  This  is  an  attention  I  didn't 
expect" 

"  You  see,"  began  Jack  diplomatically,  "  I 
thought  if  you  were  going  away  to-day  I 
shouldn't  have  any  time  at  all  to  see  you  if  I 
didn't  come  early." 

Mr.  Pinckney  seated  himself  and  began 
drumming  thoughtfully  on  the  table  while  the 
waiter  stood  expectant.  Presently  the  old 
gentleman  smiled  across  at  Jack.  "  Now, 
what  will  you  have  ? "  he  asked.  "  This  is 
nice,  to  be  sure.  Instead  of  eating  a  solitary 
breakfast,  I  have  one  of  my  best  friends  to  join 
me." 

Jack's  mind  was  already  made  up  so  she 
did  not  hesitate  long  in  giving  her  order. 
Mr.  Pinckney  added  his  and  the  waiter  went 
off. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Mr.  Pinckney,  "  did  you 
happen  to  leave  word  where  you  had  gone  so 
early  ?  I  know  your  way  of  skipping  off,  and 


Jack  as  Champion  071 

I  am  not  going  to  have  the  family  set  by  the 
ears,  or  have  them  lose  their  appetites  on  my 
account.  I  can  send  some  one  to  telephone 
them  where  you  are  if  they  don't  know." 

"  Oh,  they  know,"  said  Jack  calmly.  "  I 
wrote  a  note  to  Nan." 

"What  did  you  say?"  There  was  a  little 
twinkle  in  Mr.  Pinckney's  eye.  He  knew  Jack 
well. 

"  I  said  :  '  I  am  going  to  see  Mr.  St.  Nick. 
You  know  why.  Don't  come  for  me.'  " 

Mr.  Pinckney  looked  puzzled  and  glanced 
at  Jack's  plate  by  the  side  of  which  the  waiter 
was  just  setting  the  dishes  she  had  ordered. 
He  wondered  if  she  had  craftily  desired  some 
special  dainty  which  her  own  boarding  place 
did  not  furnish,  and  if  she  had  taken  this  way 
of  getting  it,  but  Jack's  order  was  a  modest 
one,  he  perceived,  so  she  could  not  have  come 
merely  because  of  the  breakfast.  "She  knew 
why  ?  "  he  said,  "  and  what  is  the  why  ?  " 

Jack  added  a  fourth  lump  of  sugar  to  her 
coffee  and  looked  at  him  gravely.  "  You  know 
I  said  if  you  were  going  away  this  morning  I 
shouldn't  have  any  time  to  see  you  if  I  didn't 
come  early,  and  I  had  something  very  particular 
to  say  to  you." 

"You  had?  Out  with  it."  Mr.  Pinckney 
was  amused.  Jack  always  entertained  him. 


372  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  covering  a  small  piece 
of  bread  with  a  large  amount  of  jam,  "  I  s'pose 
you're  thinking  that  Mr.  Kirk  is  in  love  with 
Miss  Dolores,  and  that  he  will  want  to  take  her 
off  somewhere  away  from  you,  and  that  is  why 
you  looked  so  cross  last  night." 

Mr.  Pinckney  laid  down  his  knife  and  fork 
and  looked  at  the  child,  amazed  that  she  should 
put  her  ringer  with  such  directness  upon  the 
point  of  his  annoyance.  "  Caesar's  ghost ! "  he 
exclaimed,  "  what  a  youngster." 

"  Yes,"  Jack  went  on,  "  I  think  that  is  just 
it.  Now,  I  don't  suppose  it  ever  came  into 
your  head  to  think  how  awfully  nice  it  would 
be  for  them  to  get  married  and  live  with  you. 
Lots  and  lots  of  times  I've  heard  you  say  that 
if  you  only  had  a  son  or  a  grandson  he  would 
be  such  a  comfort  and  help,  and  here  when 
there  is  one  standing  around  just  dying  to  be 
your  grandson  you  get  cross  about  it.  I  don't 
want  to  hurt  your  feelings,  Mr.  St.  Nick,  when 
you  are  having  your  breakfast,  because  there 
isn't  anything  that  makes  you  not  enjoy  your 
breakfast  and  dinner  like  hurt  feelings,  I  know 
because  I've  had  them  often,  but  you  know 
— your  son — Miss  Dolores'  father — you  know 
about  his  getting  married  when  you  didn't  want 
him  too,  and  how  awfully " 

She  stopped   short,   for   Mr.    Pinckney  was 


Jack  as  Champion 

looking  at  her  so  sternly  now  that  she  hastily 
gulped  a  large  mouthful  of  coffee  before  she 
went  on.  "  Don't  you  love  Miss  Dolores  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"Mercy,  child,"  her  friend  murmured,  "of 
course  I  do.  Life  has  been  a  different  matter 
since  I  found  her." 

"Then  don't  you  want  her  to  be  happy? 
Mother  and  Aunt  Helen  and  Nan  and  Mary  Lee 
always  tell  us  that  if  we  love  a  person  very 
much  we  will  do  the  things  to  make  them  happy, 
and  not  the  things  to  make  them  unhappy." 
Jack  had  a  little  severe  air  quite  like  Mary  Lee 
when  she  was  lecturing  her  younger  sisters. 

Mr.  Pinckney  looked  actually  confused,  picked 
up  his  napkin,  wiped  his  mouth,  took  a  sip  of 
coffee,  looked  at  his  chop  but  did  not  touch  it. 
Then  he  frowned.  "  It  seems  to  me,"  he  said, 
"  that  you're  talking  about  something  you  don't 
know  anything  about." 

"  If  I  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  said 
Jack,  "  won't  you  please  tell  me  ?  Isn't  Mr. 
Kirk  an  awfully  nice  young  man,  or  what  is  the 
matter?  If  he  is  poor  that  won't  make  any 
difference  when  you  have  so  much  money, 
though  I  don't  think  he  can  be  so  very  poor, 
for  he  is  Carter's  cousin,  and  Carter  has  plenty, 
enough  to  buy  a  house  with  ;  he  told  me  so." 

Mr.  Pinckney  stirred  his  coffee  silently.     "  Oh, 


374  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

I  suppose  he  is  nice  enough,"  he  said  presently, 
"  but  little  girls  like  you  don't  know  anything 
about  such  things." 

"  I  don't  suppose  we  do  very  much,"  returned 
Jack  nothing  daunted,  "  but  you  always  tell  me 
about  things  I  don't  know  about,  when  no  one 
else  will."  This  was  quite  true,  and  Mr.  Pinck- 
ney  was  aware  that  he  had  encouraged  Jack  to 
talk  as  freely  to  him  as  she  would  to  one  of  her 
own  age,  but  he  had  not  expected  such  results  to 
come  from  the  encouragement. 

Jack  still  persisted,  though  she  received  no 
answer  to  her  last  remark.  "  Won't  you  tell 
me,  please,  just  why  you  want  to  take  Miss 
Dolores  away,  and  why  you  don't  want  her  to 
see  Mr.  Kirk,  if  it  isn't  because  you're  afraid  he 
will  marry  her  ?  " 

"  Heavens  ! "  ejaculated  Mr.  Pinckney,  "  am  I 
on  the  witness  stand  or  not?"  Yet  he  felt 
uncomfortable  under  Jack's  cross-questioning. 
This  came  of  allowing  her  to  ply  him  with  ques- 
tions on  any  subject.  He  had  always  scorned 
the  old  saw  that  children  should  be  seen  and  not 
heard,  but  at  this  present  moment,  he  heartily 
wished  he  had  been  less  indulgent.  Jack  had 
fixed  innocent  questioning  eyes  upon  him  and 
presently  he  blurted  out,  "  No,  I  don't  want 
her  to  marry  him." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  persisted  Jack. 


Jack  as  Champion 

"  Because  I  don't  want  to  lose  her  just  as  I've 
found  her." 

"  But  didn't  I  tell  you  it  would  be  awfully 
nice  to  have  them  both  live  with  you  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  don't  think  it  would." 

"  But  you  like  Mr.  Kirk.  You  did  at  first. 
You  kept  saying  he  was  fine,  and  you  invited 
him  to  your  house,  and  used  to  have  him  take 
lunch  with  you  at  your  club  and  all  that.  What 
made  you  get  mad  with  him  ?  Was  it  because 
he  liked  Miss  Dolores  so  much?  " 

"That  may  be  one  reason." 

"  But  don't  you  want  her  to  be  happy?" 

"  Of  course,  of  course,  but  I  don't  want 
another  man  to  be  taking  up  all  her  time  and 
attention,  and  absorbing  all  the  interest  and 
affection  I  have  just  won." 

"  But  he  wouldn't  be  taking  up  all  her  time  ;  he 
couldn't  when  he  has  to  be  at  his  office  all  day. 
Do  you  mean  that  you  think  she  couldn't  love 
you  both  ?  Why,  I  love  Nan  and  Jean  bushels 
and  bushels,  but  I  love  mother  most.  There  was 
Nan,  too,  she  has  always  loved  mother  and  has 
loved  me  more  than  anything,  yet  when  Aunt 
Helen  came  all  of  a  sudden,  she  loved  her  aw- 
fully hard,  and  it  didn't  make  a  bit  of  difference 
about  her  loving  us  first.  Are  you  afraid  Miss 
Dolores  hasn't  enough  love  to  go  around  ?" 

"  Dear  me,  child,  I  never  knew  such  heart- 


376  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

searching  questions.  You  ought  to  have  been 
a  lawyer  or  a  Methodist  exhorter.  Now,  I  will 
ask  you  something.  How  do  you  know  this 
Mr.  Kirk  wants  to  marry  my  granddaughter? 
Has  he  ever  told  you  so  ?  " 

"  No,"  returned  Jack  doubtfully.  "  Of  course 
he  wouldn't  tell  a  little  girl  like  me,  but  if  he 
doesn't,  then  what  in  the  world  is  the  use  of 
your  going  off  in  such  a  hurry  as  soon  as  he 
comes  when  you  meant  to  stay  here  just  as  long 
as  we  do  ?  " 

Then  Mr.  Pinckney  laughed.  "  Child,"  he 
said,  "  you're  too  much  for  me.  There  haven't 
been  generations  of  lawyers  in  your  family  for 
nothing.  I  think,  after  all,  we  won't  go  to-day." 
And  he  fell  to  eating  his  breakfast  without 
noticing  that  it  was  nearly  cold. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
A  YOUTHFUL  GUIDE 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  YOUTHFUL    GUIDE 

As  the  days  passed  Mr.  Pinckney  seemed  to 
have  forgotten  entirely  his  original  intention  of 
deserting  his  friends  in  Venice,  and  of  bearing 
Miss  Dolores  away  beyond  the  attentions  of 
Harold  Kirk.  He  was  his  old  jolly,  generous 
self,  so  that  every  one  had  the  best  of  times  in 
consequence  of  his  enthusiasm  and  eagerness  for 
fun.  Sometimes  he  would  take  the  twins  off 
for  a  frolic  leaving  the  others  to  follow  some 
fancy  of  their  own  ;  again  he  would  have  the 
whole  party  to  dinner  at  some  pleasant  out- 
door restaurant,  where  queer  Italian  dishes  were 
served.  There  were  excursions  to  Murano  to 
see  the  glass-works,  to  Burano  to  see  the  lace- 
makers,  to  Torcello,  to  Chioggia  on  a  feast  day, 
and  oftener  than  anywhere  to  the  Lido,  a  place 
which  the  younger  girls  adored. 

There  seemed  to  be  good  feeling  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Pinckney  toward  both  Carter  and 
his  cousin,  and  there  were  no  more  frowns, 
though  once  or  twice  when  Mr.  Pinckney  caught 
Jack  looking  at  him  speculatively,  he  gave  her 
a  quizzical  glance  in  return,  but  he  never  al- 


380  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

lowed  the  subject  they  had  discussed  at  the 
breakfast  table  to  be  brought  up  again. 

At  last  came  a  day  when  Miss  Helen  and 
Mrs.  Corner  decided  that  they  must  leave  Venice 
if  they  were  to  see  anything  of  other  places.  So 
again  they  packed  up  in  order  to  start  for 
Florence.  This  decision  of  theirs  was  the  sig- 
nal for  the  rest  to  make  a  move  and  all  traveled 
in  company. 

"  If  I  only  had  my  motor  car  here  we  could 
get  another,  and  go  through  Italy  in  that  way," 
said  Carter.  "  What  jolly  good  times  we  had 
in  California  traveling  around  together." 

"  We'll  do  it  again  some  time,"  Miss  Helen 
assured  him.  "  It  is  too  delightful  a  thing  not 
to  make  a  separate  and  distinct  tour  of.  Now 
you  have  started,  Carter,  no  doubt  you  will 
come  over  often." 

"  Maybe,"  he  said,  "  though  one  mustn't  do 
too  much  junketing,  once  he  is  settled  down  to 
the  real  business  of  life.  Dad  thought  I  had 
been  pretty  diligent  in  some  ways,  and  he  said 
I  deserved  a  bit  of  a  change,  though  if  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Roberts  hadn't  made  up  their  minds  to 
have  a  houseful  of  company  this  summer,  I 
doubt  if  I  should  have  left  them." 

"But  you  did  want  to  see  us,  didn't  you, 
Carter?"  asked  Jack  who  was  never  far  away 
when  Carter  was  on  hand. 


A  Youthful  Guide  381 

"  Of  course  I  did,  and  that  is  precisely  why  I 
came,  though  under  different  circumstances  I 
might  have  felt  that  I  ought  to  stay  behind. 
We  often  can't  do  the  things  we  want  to,  Jack, 
my  honey,  and  often  we  must  do  things  we 
don't  like  to." 

Jack  did  not  apply  this  quite  as  it  was  in- 
tended as  was  apparent  by  what  followed,  for 
she  nodded  to  Mr.  Pinckney  and  said  :  "  Do 
you  hear  that,  Mr.  St.  Nick  ?  " 

"What's  that?"  he  asked  looking  up  from 
his  time-table. 

Jack  repeated  what  Carter  had  said,  and  Mr. 
Pinckney's  jolly  laugh  followed.  "  Oh,  but  you 
are  a  rogue,"  he  said.  "Come  over  here." 
Jack  obeyed.  "  Look  over  there,"  said  Mr. 
Pinckney,  "  and  say  if  I  am  not  a  devoted  and 
long-suffering  grandfather." 

Jack  looked  to  see  Miss  Dolores  and  Mr. 
Kirk  slowly  walking  together,  evidently  ab- 
sorbed in  a  deeply  interesting  conversation. 
They  were  all  at  the  moment  making  a  last 
visit  to  the  Lido  and  the  next  day  would  start 
for  Florence. 

To  this  city  Nan  had  looked  forward  with 
great  expectancy,  and  though  at  first  she  was 
disappointed,  after  being  possessed  with  the 
beauty  of  Venice,  in  a  day  or  two  she  was  quite 
satisfied  that  Florence  held  its  own  delights 


382  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

which  were  even  more  satisfying  to  her  than 
those  of  Venice.  Its  galleries,  its  churches,  its 
history,  its  environs  opened,  one  after  another, 
a  series  of  interests  which  appealed  to  the  girl 
strongly.  She  did  not  despise  its  lighter  charms 
either,  for  she  reveled  in  the  gay  shops  along 
the  Lungarno,  and  the  displays  of  the  gold- 
smiths on  the  Ponte  Vecchio.  The  Cascine,  the 
Boboli  Gardens  and  the  gardens  of  San  Miniato 
were  places  for  which  the  twins  clamored  to  be 
taken  often,  and  there  was  generally  some  one 
in  the  party  to  indulge  them  ;  if  not  Miss  Helen 
or  Mrs.  Corner,  then  Mr.  Pinckney  or  Carter 
would  offer  escort.  So  while  the  others  prowled 
around  picture  galleries  and  discussed  churches 
the  twins  were  off  on  some  excursion  which  bet- 
ter pleased  their  youthful  tastes. 

All  this  while  Miss  Dolores  seemed  uncon- 
scious of  the  interest  her  love  affair  was  excit- 
ing. She  knew  very  well,  however,  that  her 
grandfather  did  not  approve  of  it  in  the  begin- 
ning, but  feeling  that  she  owed  everything  to 
him  she  had  docilely  accepted  his  decisions. 
She  realized  that  it  would  be  hard  to  part  from 
Mr.  Kirk,  and  she  knew  the  separation  might 
mean  the  giving  up  of  her  lover  entirely,  but 
whatever  she  felt  she  kept  within  her  own  heart. 
So  it  was  a  surprise  to  her  when  her  grandfather 
suddenly  accepted  Mr.  Kirk  as  a  member  of  the 


A  Youthful  Guide  383 

happy  party  and  included  him  in  invitations 
and  plans  which  she  shared. 

It  was  intended  to  spend  Easter  at  Rome, 
but  at  the  last  moment  the  grown-ups  decided 
to  remain  in  Florence  because  Rome  was  so 
crowded  that  good  rooms  for  so  large  a  number 
of  persons  would  be  difficult  to  get,  and  be- 
cause the  children  would  enjoy  Lo  Scoppio  del 
Carro  quite  as  much  as  anything  they  might 
see  in  Rome  where  the  Carnival  had  lost  many 
of  its  pleasant  features. 

"  You  don't  want  our  girls  in  that  rabble  on 
the  Corso,"  said  Mr.  Pinckney.  "  We'd  better 
stay  here  and  see  the  Columbina." 

So  stay  they  did,  and  on  the  Saturday  before 
Easter  gathered  with  the  rest  of  the  crowd  be- 
fore the  cathedral,  their  carriages  joining  the 
line  of  others,  to  watch  for  the  great  car  filled 
with  fireworks.  Hundreds  of  country  people 
had  assembled,  for  this  was  a  great  occasion  to 
them,  much  depending,  in  their  superstitious 
minds,  upon  the  voyage  of  the  dove. 

Jack  and  Jean,  as  interested  as  the  Italian 
spectators,  craned  their  necks  to  see  the  famous 
Columbina.  "  What  does  it  look  like  ?  "  asked 
Jean.  "  Is  it  a  real  dove  ?  " 

"  No,"  her  Aunt  Helen  told  her,  "  it  is  only  a 
contrivance  in  the  shape  of  one." 

"  How  does  it  get  here  ?  " 


384  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"It  is  lighted  at  the  high  altar  during  the 
Gloria  and  is  run  along  a  string  or  wire  to  the 
car." 

This  was  not  so  very  mysterious,  but  was 
sufficiently  interesting  to  be  looked  for  eagerly, 
and  its  progress  to  and  from  the  altar  became  a 
more  exciting  thing  to  watch  than  the  fireworks 
themselves. 

At  last  the  fireworks  ceased.  There  was  a 
movement  in  the  crowd.  Something  else  was 
to  follow.  "  Oh,  see  the  white  oxen,"  cried  Jack. 

Every  one  looked  to  see  the  mild-eyed  crea- 
tures who,  with  slow  tread,  dragged  the  car  to 
the  Via  del  Proconsolo. 

The  Corner  party  followed,  their  driver  taking 
a  short  cut  so  they  would  be  in  time  to  see  the 
arrival  of  the  car,  and  to  watch  the  remainder 
of  the  fireworks  which  were  set  off  at  the  Canto 
de'  Pazzi. 

As  they  drove  home  they  stopped  at  the 
flower  market  in  the  arcades  of  the  Uffizi,  and 
bore  home  their  Easter  flowers.  "  Such  a  lot 
of  them  and  so  cheap,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  No 
wonder  they  call  the  city  Florence,  for  what 
could  be  more  flowery  at  this  time  of  year?" 

The  carriages  were  dismissed  at  the  flower 
market  and  all  walked  along  the  Lungarno  to 
their  hotel,  stopping  once  in  a  while  to  look  in 
the  shop-windows  or  to  interchange  remarks. 


A  Youthful  Guide  385 

"  We  shall  go  to  the  Boboli  Garden  to-mor- 
row," announced  the  twins.  "  Mr.  St.  Nick  is 
going  to  take  us.  We  think  it  is  the  prettiest 
thing  in  Florence." 

"  What  do  you  like  best,  Nan?"  Jack  asked. 

"  Oh,  the  galleries,  the  Uffizi  and  the  Pitti,  of 
course." 

"  What  do  you  like  best,  Jo  ? "  Jack  continued 
her  inquiries. 

Jo  confessed  to  a  weakness  for  the  shops  on 
the  Ponte  Vecchio  ;  Mary  Lee  liked  the  Found- 
ling Hospital  with  its  medallions  by  Delia  Rob- 
bia  ;  Carter  admired  the  cathedral.  What  Mr. 
Kirk  and  Miss  Dolores  liked  best  in  Florence 
Jack  did  not  ask.  She  whispered  to  Nan  to 
know  if  she  should  put  the  question  to  them. 

Nan  glanced  at  the  two  who  were  standing 
absorbed  in  something  of  mutual  interest.  "  I 
can  tell  you  what  they  like,"  she  whispered 
back. 

"  What  ?  "  again  in  a  whisper. 

"  Each  other,"  returned  Nan.  Jack's  giggle 
showed  that  she  appreciated  the  answer. 

Easter  Sunday  with  all  the  pomp  and  cere- 
mony of  a  celebration  at  the  cathedral.  Easter 
Monday,  a  last  visit  to  the  gardens,  to  the  shops, 
and  they  were  off  again,  this  time  for  Rome. 

Nan  and  Carter  sat  poring  over  the  latter's 
Baedeker  during  the  journey.  "  Dear  me,  it 


386  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

would  take  a  lifetime,  wouldn't  it,  Carter?"  said 
Nan.  "  How  can  we  see  it  all  ?  " 

"We  can't,"  he  replied.  "We  shall  have  to 
begin  by  picking  out  the  most  important  things. 
I  say  the  Forum  first." 

"  Oh,  dear,  yes,  and  then  St.  Peter's." 

"  Of  course  again — and " 

"  St.  Peter's  includes  the  Vatican." 

"Which  means  days  of  looking  if  we  are  to 
see  all." 

"  We  must  drive  out  the  Appian  way." 

"And  see  the  Catacombs." 

"Yes,  that  comes  in  with  the  drive.  We 
must  go  up  the  Capitoline  hill  to  the  Museum." 

"  And  the  Pincio." 

"  And,  oh,  Carter,  of  all  things,  we  have  for- 
gotten the  Coliseum." 

"  So  we  have,  and  naturally  that  is  one  of  the 
most  important  things." 

"  I  am  quite  dizzy  over  it  already.  Don't 
let's  write  down  any  more  till  after  we  have 
seen  these.  Isn't  it  overpowering?  London 
is  nowhere.  Paris  is  a  mere  nothing.  I  am 
perfectly  wild  with  anticipation.  It's  Rome  we 
are  to  see,  that  wonderful,  wonderful  city.  The 
more  I  read  about  it  the  more  enthusiastically 
bewildered  I  get.  Hallo,  Jo,  what  do  you  think 
of  it?  Do  you  know  where  we  are  going  ?  " 

"  Don't  speak  to  me,"  said  Jo  from  the  other 


A  Youthful  Guide  387 

end  of  the  seat.  "  I  am  goose-flesh  from  top 
to  toe.  From  this  time  out  I  expect  to  go 
about  with  my  mouth  agape  and  my  eyes 
popping  out.  Oh,  Nan,  what  would  Fraunces 
Powers  give  to  have  this  chance  ?  " 

"  Poor  Frances,"  returned  Nan  with  a 
sigh. 

"  You  always  say  that,  and  yet  you  are  the 
one  who  has  least  reason  to  be  sorry  for  her." 

"Maybe  that  is  just  it,"  replied  Nan.  "I 
have  so  much  reason  to  feel  the  other  way  that 
the  pendulum  has  swung  back.  She  has  the 
worst  of  it." 

"  The  girls  are  all  home  for  the  Easter 
holidays  now,"  said  Jo  reflectively.  "  I  think 
it  will  be  rather  good  fun  to  go  back  there  after 
all,  and  after  this  year's  travel.  Think  what  a 
sensation  I  shall  make  and  what  an  authority 
I  shall  be,  yet  it  will  be  rather  hard  to  get  into 
the  traces  again,  and  to  subsist  on  the  everlast- 
ing baked  apples  and  baked  beans." 

"  Our  holiday  has  been  a  tremendously  long 
one,"  said  Nan,  "  for  though  we  have  done 
some  studying,  there  is  much  of  the  time  we 
have  taken  our  mental  nourishment  in  other 
ways  than  from  books.  I  am  glad  Miss  Barnes 
agreed  that  travel  would  count  as  study  and 
that  we  should  not  lose  by  giving  up  school- 
books  for  part  of  the  time.  Who  was  Caracalla, 


388  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

Carter?  I  see  something  about  the  Thermae 
of  Caracalla  here  in  the  book." 

"He  was  a  Roman  emperor  of  about  212 
B.  C." 

"  That's  enough,"  cried  Jo.  "  Anything  B.  c. 
gets  beyond  my  assimilation.  I  can't  digest  it 
till  I  have  taken  a  course  of  treatment,  fish  or 
brain  food  of  some  kind.  I  think  while  I  am 
in  Rome  I  must  consult  a  physician  and  get 
him  to  recommend  a  diet  that  will  increase  my 
supply  of  gray  matter." 

"  You  certainly  do  talk  funny,  Jo  Keyes," 
said  Mary  Lee.  "You  are  always  trying  to 
make  out  that  you  haven't  any  brains,  and  yet 
you  are  always  the  one  who  rises  to  the  oc- 
casion and  who  comes  up  smiling  whatever 
the  rest  of  us  do.  When  Nan  and  I  get  com- 
pletely snowed  under  by  dates  and  chronological 
events  you  glibly  reel  them  off  and  tell  us  that 
so-and-so  was  the  daughter  of  King  This-and- 
That,  and  that  Emperor  XYZ  married  Princess 
Tutti-Frutti.  Why  even  that  mixy  up  Bavarian 
history  you  had  all  smoothed  out  fine  before 
we  came  away." 

Jo  blew  Mary  Lee  a  kiss  from  the  tips  of  her 
fingers.  "  Thanks  for  the  bouquets,"  she  said. 
"Just  because  I  know  a  little  arithmetic  you 
think  I  am  smart.  When  it  comes  to  real  litera- 
ture I  am  floored."  She  began  to  gather  up 


A  Youthful  Guide  389 

her  traps  for  they  were  approaching  the  station 
and  soon  their  feet  would  be  treading  the  streets 
of  the  Eternal  City. 

A  few  moments  in  the  station,  a  swift  drive 
to  their  hotel  and  they  were  established  in 
Rome. 

There  was  such  a  variety  of  wishes  displayed 
the  next  morning  that  the  party  split  up  into 
three  sections.  Mr.  Pinckney,  Miss  Dolores, 
Mary  Lee  and  Mr.  Kirk,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
yearned  to  see  St.  Peter's.  Nan,  Carter  and 
Jo  voted  for  the  Forum,  so  Miss  Helen  agreed 
to  join  them.  This  left  Mrs.  Corner  and  the 
twins  to  decide  upon  what  they  should  see. 
Jack  was  divided  between  a  desire  to  be  of  the 
party  with  Carter  and  to  go  to  the  Coliseum,  a 
place  upon  which  Jean  had  set  her  heart.  At 
last  Jean's  references  to  the  early  martyrs  and 
to  the  dens  and  chambers  for  the  wild  beasts  so 
fired  Jack's  imagination  that  she  concluded  to 
go  with  her  mother  and  Jean. 

"It  is  too  large  a  party  anyhow,"  declared 
Miss  Helen.  "  We  shall  all  get  along  much  more 
comfortably  this  way." 

"  Of  course  Mary  Lee  would  go  with  Miss 
Dolores,"  remarked  Nan,  "and  of  course  Jean 
and  Jack  wanted  to  be  harrowed  by  a  view  of 
the  spot  where  the  early  Christians  were 
martyred.  I  suppose  Jack  will  be  in  tears  over 


390  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

it  while  Jean  will  be  interested  in  seeing  where 
they  used  to  keep  the  lions  and  tigers,  and  will 
placidly  tell  Jack  that  it  all  happened  so  long 
ago  that  there  is  no  use  in  one's  feeling  badly 
about  it."  This  described  the  temperaments  of 
the  two  so  well  that  all  laughed. 

"  Will  there  be  a  moon  ? "  asked  Nan  ab- 
ruptly just  before  they  reached  the  car  which 
would  take  them  to  their  destination. 

Miss  Helen  laughed.  "Are  you  dreaming, 
Nan  ?  It  isn't  night." 

Nan  laughed,  too.  "  I  was  thinking  of  the 
Coliseum.  The  guide-book  says  it  is  best  seen 
at  moonlight,  and  I  was  wondering  if  we  would 
have  a  chance  to  do  that." 

"  I  think  we  shall,  but  not  till  the  latter  part 
of  our  stay." 

"  As  long  as  we  get  it  in,  that  will  be  all  right." 

Arriving  at  the  point  from  which  the  Forum 
could  be  best  viewed  from  above,  the  four  stood 
looking  toward  it  silently,  each  impressed  by 
the  sight  of  the  historic  columns,  the  triumphal 
arches,  the  ruined  temples. 

"  To  think,"  murmured  Miss  Helen,  "  that  it  is 
comparatively  but  a  short  time  ago  that  all 
this  was  buried  under  rubbish,  that  it  was  a 
spot  which  for  a  long  time  was  practically 
hidden  from  view  until  the  nineteenth  century." 

"  Why  was  that,  Miss  Helen  ?  "  asked  Jo. 


A  Youthful  Guide  391 

"  Because  in  warring  against  paganism  the 
temples  were  destroyed,  the  stones  were  carried 
away  to  build  into  churches  and  castles,  and  the 
very  name  Forum  was  forgotten.  You  can  read 
all  about  it  in  Baedeker,  my  dear,"  said  Miss 
Helen  with  a  smile  at  Jo's  look  of  admiration  at 
her  knowledge. 

"  Let's  read  up,  Nan,  as  soon  as  we  get 
home,"  said  Jo  enthusiastically. 

Their  talk  was  at  this  moment  broken  in  upon 
by  a  queer  little  figure  which  approached.  A 
little  fellow  of  about  twelve  or  thirteen  was  tak- 
ing as  long  strides  as  he  was  capable  of  toward 
them.  He  was  dressed  in  manly  attire,  long 
trousers,  sack  coat  and  Derby  hat.  "  Want  a 
guide  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  show  you  alia,  evrasing, 
verra  sheep." 

The  four  looked  at  one  another  and  grinned. 
His  was  such  a  comical  appearance,  for  he  was 
small  for  his  age,  and  had  such  a  serious  air. 
Even  Miss  Helen  smiled. 

"  I  spika  Engglis,"  continued  the  boy.  He 
struck  an  attitude.  "  Frienda  Roma,  contra- 
manna.  I  coma  bury  Caesar,"  he  began. 

The  three  younger  ones  of  the  party  turned 
away  their  heads,  and  broke  into  suppressed 
giggles.  The  boy  was  so  ridiculous  with  his 
little  pompous  manner. 

Miss  Helen  bit  her  lip,  but  managed  to  ask, 


39 2  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"What  do  you  know  about  being  a  guide,  a 
little  boy  like  you  ?  " 

"I  know  alia  as  big  manna.  He  sharge 
molto,  mucha,  me,  no.  Me,  verra  clever."  He 
smote  his  breast  with  an  air  of  assured  self-im- 
portance. 

"  Do  let's  have  him,"  whispered  Nan  to  her 
aunt.  "  Even  if  he  isn't  any  good  he  is  so 
funny." 

"What  is  your  charge?"  asked  Miss  Helen, 
turning  to  the  boy. 

He  named  a  moderate  enough  price  with  all 
the  gravity  possible. 

"  It's  worth  it,"  murmured  Carter,  "  just  to 
see  the  little  rat  and  his  airs." 

"Very  well,"  agreed  Miss  Helen,  "you  may 
come  with  us.  I  don't  suppose  he  knows  a 
thing  or  will  do  anything  right,"  she  said  to  the 
others,  "  but  I  have  my  Baedeker  with  me,  and 
he  is  funny." 

The  boy  strode  ahead,  taking  as  mighty  steps 
as  his  short  legs  would  permit,  and  presently 
began  his  lecture,  waving  a  small  hand  in  the 
direction  of  the  Temple  of  Saturn,  and  naming 
the  buildings  correctly  enough.  When  he 
thought  his  party  had  exhausted  the  resources 
above  he  turned  abruptly.  "  Come  along,"  he 
said  peremptorily,  and  with  long  strides  marched 
ahead. 


A  Youthful  Guide  393 

"  He  takes  the  Cook  guides  for  his  pattern," 
laughed  Miss  Helen.  The  boy  did  not  hear, 
but  with  the  same  air  of  importance  led  his 
party  over  the  ground.  At  the  slightest  word 
of  appreciation,  he  would  smite  his  breast  and 
say,  "Me  verra  clever."  Before  he  had  finished 
with  them  he  had  taken  them  to  the  Capitoline 
Hill,  had  procured  them  post-cards  at  a  figure 
less  than  that  usually  charged,  had  marched 
them  to  the  church  of  Santa  Maria  in  Arcoeli 
that  they  might  view  the  wonder-working  bam- 
bino laden  with  jewels,  and  in  his  queer  jargon 
of  broken  English  told  them  many  things  with 
such  an  air  of  gravity  as  convulsed  them.  Jo 
once  in  a  while  managed  to  reach  the  boy  in 
him,  and  his  merry  laugh,  in  strong  contrast  to 
his  costume  and  his  general  manner,  was  the 
more  contagious. 

He  had  really  fulfilled  his  promise  so  well,  and 
as  Carter  said,  was  "such  an  amusing  little 
rat "  that  the  others  of  the  party  employed  him 
later  and  as  a  matter  of  course  Jack  brought 
him  out  wonderfully,  and  was  able  to  learn 
more  from  him  than  any  one  else. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  day,  each  was  so  en- 
thusiastic about  what  he  or  she  had  seen  that 
the  different  parties  followed  the  example  of 
one  another  the  next  day,  a  sort  of  ladies' 
change,  Jo  said,  though  after  this  they  divided 


394  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

up  in  various  ways.  Sometimes  it  was  Mr. 
Pinckney  who  carried  off  all  four  Corners ; 
again  it  would  be  two  of  these  who  would 
go  in  one  direction  and  two  in  another.  At 
another  time  the  whole  company  of  eleven 
would  take  carriages  for  an  afternoon's  drive  or 
sightseeing,  finally  having  supper  at  some  out- 
of-door  restaurant,  and  coming  home  through 
the  lighted  streets,  happy  though  tired. 

Nan  had  her  sight  of  the  Coliseum  by  moon- 
light, and  was  stirred  to  the  depths  by  the 
grandeur  and  solemnity  of  the  scene.  It  was  an 
evening  not  to  be  forgotten  by  any  of  them,  and 
it  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  it  was  a 
specially  happy  one  to  Miss  Dolores  and  Mr. 
Kirk. 

So  day  after  day  passed  until  one  morning 
Mrs.  Corner  remarked,  "  If  we  expect  to  reach 
Naples  before  it  is  too  hot,  we  shall  have  to 
think  .of  getting  there,  for  May  is  passing." 

"  Leave  Rome  ?  "  exclaimed  the  girls. 

"  Don't  you  want  to  see  Naples  ?  " 

"Of  course,  but  why  can't  we "  began 

Mary  Lee. 

"Do  what?" 

"  I  don't  know.  Make  time  stand  still,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  Rome  will  remain,  dear  child,  and  you  can 
come  back  some  day." 


A  Youthful  Guide  395 

"  I  know,  and  of  course  we  have  been  here 
over  two  weeks  now.  Well,  mother,  I  suppose 
we  shall  have  to  go." 

"  Don't  say  it  so  mournfully,  my  child.  You 
will  be  delighted  with  Naples,  with  Sorrento, 
Amain,  Capri,  Pompeii." 

"  Oh,  I  know  it.  This  earth  has  more  in  it 
than  one  can  well  see  in  a  short  lifetime.  I 
can't  understand  how  people  can  ever  be 
bored." 

"  Like  that  awful  Mrs.  Ritchie  on  the  steamer," 
said  Nan  ;  "  she  didn't  know  what  places  there 
were  left  to  visit  for  she  and  her  daughter  had 
been  everywhere.  Shall  you  ever  forget  her 
blase  look  and  set  smile  ?  " 

"  Her  name  just  suited  her,"  declared  Jo. 
"  She  was  just  rich  and  nothing  else.  I  was  so 
pleased  when  Miss  Helen  drew  her  out,  and 
found  that  she  had  been  only  to  the  big  cities 
and  that  she  didn't  know  anything  but  shops, 
theatres  and  restaurants." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  this  crowd  ever  get- 
ting bored,"  remarked  Nan.  "  The  trouble  is 
we  are  too  enthusiastic,  for  we  like  the  little 
simple  things  as  much  as  the  big  ones,  and 
when  we  have  exhausted  our  vocabularies  over 
some  small  matter  we  have  no  words  left  to  ex- 
press what  we  feel  for  the  great  ones.  Is  go 
the  word,  mother?" 


396  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"Yes,  I  think  it  must  be  if  we  are  to  see  any- 
thing of  southern  Italy  before  we  sail  for " 

"  Home,  home,  sweet  home,"  broke  in  a 
chorus  of  voices. 

"  And  that  is  another  thing  to  be  enthusiastic 
about,"  said  Nan  at  the  close  of  the  outburst. 
"  There  is  the  getting  back  and  the  seeing  all 
the  dear  old  places  and  the  darling  people." 


CHAPTER  XX 
TOWARD  THE  TOE 


CHAPTER  XX 

TOWARD  THE  TOE 

"  HEEL  and  toe,  and  away  we  go,"  sang  Jack 
on  the  morning  they  were  to  start  for  Naples. 
"  We've  come  down  all  through  the  boot  leg, 
Jean,  and  now  we're  going  toward  the  toe." 

"It  isn't  really  the  toe  when  we  stop,"  re- 
turned Jean.  "  Aunt  Helen  showed  me  on  the 
map,  and  it  isn't  any  further  down  than  the 
ankle." 

"  Well,  but  it's  toward  the  toe." 

"Yes,"  admitted  Jack.  "There  are  more 
donkeys  there  than  anywhere  we  have  been," 
she  went  on,  "  and  there  are  goats  that  walk  up- 
stairs to  be  milked." 

"We  saw  them  milk  goats  in  the  streets  of 
Paris.  Don't  you  remember  the  man  who  used 
to  come  by  early  in  the  morning  playing  on  the 
pipes,  and  how  we  used  to  get  up  and  look  out 
of  the  window  to  see  him  milk  the  goats  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  those  goats  didn't  walk  up-stairs. 
Carter  told  me  about  the  ones  in  Naples  and  I 
am  going  to  look  out  for  them." 

"  Carter  told  me  a  lot  of  things,  too,"  returned 
Jack,  not  to  be  outdone.  "  He  told  me  more 


400  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

than  he  did  you.  He  said  there  was  a  cave  that 
was  bright  blue  inside,  and  that  we  should  go 
there,  and  he  said  there  was  a  great  big  aqua- 
rium, the  finest  in  the  world,  and — that  we'd 
see  the  smoke  coming  out  of  Vesuvius,  and  we'd 
eat  oranges  off  the  trees  just  as  we  did  in  Cali- 
fornia." 

"I  don't  care,"  said  Jean.  "  I  reckon  he  told 
me  just  as  much,  only  I  don't  remember  it  all.' ' 

"  Here,  here,  you  children,  stop  your  bicker- 
ing," cried  Nan,  "  and  look  around  to  see  if  you 
have  left  nothing  behind.  We  must  start 
pretty  soon." 

"  I'm  all  ready,"  declared  Jean. 

"  So  am  I,"  echoed  Jack.  But  at  the  last  mo- 
ment there  was  discovered  a  hair  ribbon  and  a 
handkerchief  of  hers  which  had  to  be  poked  into 
her  mother's  bag. 

"  To  think  this  is  the  end  of  our  travels,  and 
that  the  next  thing  will  be  to  take  the  steamer 
for  home,"  said  Jo  in  a  woebegone  voice  when 
they  were  settled  in  the  train.  "  What  next,  I 
wonder." 

"  There  is  a  great  deal  of  talk  over  all  of  us," 
said  Nan,  "  but  no  one  seems  exactly  to  know 
about  next  year." 

"  I  think  mother  and  Aunt  Helen  intend  to 
give  themselves  up  to  the  subject  on  the  steamer," 
remarked  Mary  Lee. 


Toward  the  Toe  401 

"  They're  saving  it  up  to  keep  them  from  get- 
ting seasick,"  said  Nan.  "  It  will  be  so  absorb- 
ing, you  see,  that  they  won't  be  able  to  think  of 
anything  else." 

•  "  Well,"  said  Jo,  "  there  is  one  thing  ;  I  hope 
wherever  you  go  that  I  can  go,  too." 

"  Even  if  it  is  back  to  the  Wadsworth  school?" 
said  Mary  Lee. 

"Sure."  Jo  still  clung  to  her  slang  on  oc- 
casions. "The  Wadsworth  school  might  be 
worse,  and  without  Frances  is  much  better,  so 
Charley  writes." 

"  Daniella  says  it  would  be  much  better  still 
if  we  were  all  there,"  remarked  Nan. 

" Naturlich"  returned  Jo  calmly. 

"  What  are  you  girls  talking  about  ?  "  asked 
Carter  sauntering  up  to  the  door  of  the  com- 
partment. 

"  Of  how  extremely  desirable  we  are  as  com- 
panions," replied  Nan. 

"  I  found  that  out  long  ago,"  answered  Car- 
ter. "Why  don't  you  talk  about  something 
not  quite  so  obvious  as  that  ?  " 

"Bah!"  exclaimed  Nan.  "Don't  hand  us 
out  any  more  bouquets,  Carter,  we  have  not 
places  to  put  them  when  we  are  traveling. 
What  are  they  all  doing  next  door?"  The 
train  being  rather  crowded,  the  party  had  to 
divide,  Carter  and  Mr.  Kirk  finding  place  in 


402  The  Four  Comers  Abroad 

another  carriage,  the  twins  with  their  mother, 
Miss  Helen  and  the  Pinckneys  being  next  to 
the  three  older  girls,  who  were  established  on  a 
seat  opposite  three  quiet  German  women. 

"The  twins  are  eating  chocolate,  I  believe," 
Carter  said,  "  at  least  Jean  was.  Your  mother 
is  talking  to  Mr.  Pinckney  and  your  aunt  to 
Miss  Dolores.  Hal  and  I  have  had  a  smoke, 
and  I  left  Hal  scribbling  things  in  his  note-book 
with  a  far-away  look  in  his  eyes ;  so,  seeing  I 
was  not  of  any  special  use,  I  wandered  here 
to  cast  myself  on  your  tender  mercies.  What 
shall  I  do  when  you  all  leave  me  ?  I've  half  a 
mind  to  go  back,  too." 

"  And  not  go  to  Sicily  and  Greece  ?  Oh, 
Carter,"  Nan  protested. 

"  Well,  I  am  a  sociable  beast  and  can't  see 
much  fun  in  traveling  alone.  If  I  can  find  a 
decent  fellow  to  travel  with  me,  well  and  good. 
Hal  can't  stay.  He  took  his  holiday  early  that 
he  might  come  with  me.  I  don't  see  why  you 
all  have  to  leave  so  soon  when  you  could  spend 
the  summer  over  here  as  well  as  not.  You  don't 
have  to  get  back  before  school  begins,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  shall  have  to.  At  least,  so  far  as 
we  are  concerned,  it  wouldn't  matter,  but  mother 
wants  to  go  back  to  see  about  things  on  the 
place,  and  we  don't  want  her  to  go  without  us. 
She  is  too  precious  to  be  parted  from.  We 


Toward  the  Toe  403 

had  enough  of  that  business  last  year.  Now 
we  all,  mother  included,  have  made  up  our 
minds  that  we  are  not  going  to  be  parted  un- 
less it  is  absolutely  necessary.  We  shall  trot 
around  together  from  this  on." 

"  Suppose  you  were  in  my  shoes,  and  had  to 
live  away  from  your  mother  and  family,"  said 
Carter  soberly. 

"  We'd  have  to  do  as  you  do  ;  grin  and  bear 
it." 

Carter  looked  a  little  wistful,  for  his  life  was 
spent  apart  from  his  people,  as  his  health  did 
not  permit  him  to  live  in  Richmond  where  his 
parents  were.  "  I  wish  you  would  all  come  out 
to  California  again,"  he  said. 

"  Perhaps  we  shall,  some  time,  but  I  don't 
think  it  will  be  next  winter.  Mother  may  go  to 
Florida  or  Asheville  after  Christmas  to  bridge 
over  the  worst  of  the  year,  but  the  rest  of  us 
have  got  to  buckle  down  to  hard  study." 

Here  Mr.  Kirk  sauntered  down  the  corridor 
to  join  his  cousin,  and  they  stood  talking  for  a 
few  minutes  before  returning  to  their  places.  A 
little  later  they  appeared  again.  "  It  will  soon 
be  time  to  get  our  first  glimpse  of  Vesuvius," 
said  Carter,  "  so  don't  miss  it." 

From  this  time  on  the  girls  were  wildly  en- 
thusiastic. First  Vesuvius'  "misty  rim"  ap- 
peared, and  not  long  after  they  were  all  driving 


404  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

through  the  picturesque,  if  dirty  streets  of  the 
city.  Exclamations  of  delight  accented  the 
drive.  It  was,  "  Oh,  look  at  that ! "  and  "  Oh, 
see  there ! "  all  the  way  to  the  very  door  of  the 
hotel,  and  then  as  they  stood  looking  off  at  the 
magnificent  sweep  of  bay  before  them,  with 
Capri  and  Ischia  in  the  distance,  no  one  made 
a  movement  to  go  in  but  stood  murmuring, 
"  How  beautiful !  " 

With  natural  youthful  energy,  the  young 
people  were  not  to  be  persuaded  from  starting 
off  at  once  to  explore,  and  that  very  evening 
did  indeed  climb  as  far  as  the  villa  Floridiana, 
from  which  they  could  look  down  upon  the 
town  with  its  beautiful  surroundings.  The 
climb  served  as  an  outlet  to  superfluous  ener- 
gies, and  they  came  back  ready  to  make  plans 
while  they  had  dinner. 

They  all  trooped  to  the  Aquarium  first  thing 
the  next  morning  where  Jean  and  Jack  were  so 
entertained  they  could  hardly  be  dragged  away. 

"  It's  like  being  really  in  the  waters  under 
the  earth,"  said  Jack.  "  I  think  the  octopus  is 
so  horrible."  She  stood  regarding  it  with  fas- 
cinated eyes. 

"  If  you  think  it  is  so  horrible  what  makes 
you  stand  and  gaze  at  it  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"  Because  I  can't  help  it,"  returned  Jack 
transfixed. 


Toward  the  Toe 


405 


"It's  a  place  I'd  like  to  come  to  every  day," 
admitted  Mary  Lee.  "  Everything  is  so  won- 
derfully arranged,  and  as  Jack  says  you  feel  as 
if  you  were  really  in  a  room  under  the  water. 
I  love  the  living  coral." 

"  And  those  creer,  creer  crabs  are  so  interest- 
ing," put  in  Jean. 

"  Creer,  creer  crabs  does  sound  rather  inter- 
esting," said  Mr.  Kirk  laughing. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  such  wonderfully  colored 
creatures  as  some  of  these  are?"  said  Nan,  peer- 
ing through  the  glass  into  the  watery  home  of 
some  of  the  beautiful  Mediterranean  fish. 
"What's  Jo  doing,  Carter?" 

"  She  is  amusing  herself  with  the  electric  fish. 
She  seems  to  find  it  more  alluring  than  some  of 
these  beauties." 

"  Shocking !  "  exclaimed  Nan,  "  though  it's 
hard  to  shock  Jo,"  she  went  on  with  an  attempt 
at  a  pun. 

Carter  groaned.  "  If  that's  the  way  it's  go- 
ing to  affect  you  we'd  better  get  out  as  soon  as 
possible." 

"  Come  over  here  and  see  these  lovely  medu- 
sae," said  Miss  Helen. 

"  It's  a  great  place,  isn't  it?  "  said  Carter  join- 
ing her.  "  I'd  no  idea  it  would  be  so  tremen- 
dously interesting." 

"  It  is  the  greatest  place  of  its  kind  in  the 


406  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

world,  I  suppose.  Its  equipments  are  very 
complete,  and  it  is  resorted  to  for  study  by 
marine  biologists  all  over  the  world.  The  Med- 
iterranean is  a  marvelous  source  of  supply,  and 
the  specimens  are  constantly  being  added  to." 

"  Wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  a  good  deal," 
remarked  Mr.  Pinckney  trotting  up.  "  We'll 
have  to  come  here  often,  youngsters/'  he  nodded 
to  the  twins.  "  When  the  others  are  off  looking 
at  their  old  churches  and  dried  up  specimens 
we'll  come  here  and  see  these  fine  wet  ones, 
won't  we  ? "  And  the  twins  were  only  too 
ready  to  agree  to  this. 

The  young  men  were  possessed  with  a  desire 
to  see  the  castles  of  San  Martino  and  St.  Elmo 
that  afternoon,  but  started  off  alone,  while  the 
others  took  carriages  and  drove  about  the  city, 
watching  the  life  in  the  narrow  little  streets 
where  gay  colored  flowers  on  the  balconies,  and 
bits  of  scarlet  or  blue  clothing,  hung  from  the 
windows,  added  to  the  charm  of  color. 

"  I  think  the  cool  way  in  which  they  carry  on 
their  household  affairs,  their  trades  or  anything 
at  all  in  the  streets,  is  too  funny  for  words,"  said 
Jo.  "  Do  look  at  that  old  woman  cooking 
macaroni  over  a  handful  of  charcoal,  Nan. 
Doesn't  she  remind  you  of  one  of  the  witches  in 
Macbeth?" 

"  And  see  that  baby  with  scarce  a  stitch  to 


Toward  the  Toe 


407 


cover  his  dear  fat  little  brown  body.     And  oh, 
the  flowers,  the  flowers  1 " 

"  Nan,  Nan,  see  there's  a  street  with  steps  all 
the  way  up  the  middle  and  the  donkeys  are  go- 
ing up  the  steps  just  as  easy,"  cried  Jack.  "  I 
see  a  man  mending  shoes  right  out  on  the  pave- 
ment." 

"  And  a  girl  with  something  to  sell,  some- 
thing to  eat,"  said  Jean.  "  I  wonder  what  it  is." 

"  Nothing  you  would  like,  probably,"  Nan 
told  her.  "  Oh,  there  is  a  funeral  procession. 
What  a  queer  looking  lot  of  people,  and  what 
a  gorgeous  coffin." 

"  It  is  probably  empty,"  Miss  Helen  told  her. 
"  They  seldom  bear  the  body  in  procession,  for 
it  is  generally  taken  to  the  cemetery  before- 
hand." 

"  Who  are  the  men  wearing  the  white  things 
with  holes  for  their  eyes?  It  looks  like  a  sheet 
and  pillow-case  party,"  declared  Jo. 

"  Those  are  probably  members  of  the  brother- 
hood to  which  the  dead  man  belonged,"  Miss 
Helen  returned. 

"  It  is  certainly  a  great  show,  like  some  of  the 
old  pictures  you  see  in  the  galleries,"  said  Nan. 

They  watched  the  curious  procession  move 
on  and  then  turned  their  attention  to  such  pass- 
ing scenes  as  a  man  with  a  tray  of  selected  cigar 
ends  which  he  had  picked  up  in  the  streets  and 


408  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

which  he  was  offering  to  buyers,  or  to  a  row  of 
booths  where  fish,  meat  and  macaroni  were  be- 
ing cooked  and  finding  a  ready  sale.  In  be- 
tween the  moving  throng  the  patient  panniered 
donkeys  threaded  their  way,  those  laden  with 
vegetables  of  different  hues  adding  more  color 
to  the  scene.  It  was  a  lively  show,  sometimes 
amusing,  sometimes  pathetic,  always  interest- 
ing, as  every  one  declared. 

A  morning  at  the  Museum,  an  afternoon 
prowling  around  the  shops,  looking  up  souve- 
nirs, a  tour  of  the  principal  churches  for  some 
of  the  party  while  the  others  went  again  to  the 
Aquarium,  took  them  to  their  third  day  which 
was  set  apart  for  an  excursion  to  Pompeii. 

"  The  education  I  am  receiving ! "  remarked 
Jo  to  Nan  when  they  passed  in  through  the  en- 
trance of  the  ancient  city.  "  I  have  always  had 
a  very  hazy  idea  of  what  Pompeii  was  like, 
though  I  have  lately  learned  when  it  existed. 
In  fact  I  was  hazy  about  so  many  things  that 
are  now  clear  facts  in  my  mind,  that  I  expect  to 
overpower  my  family  completely  when  I  get 
back.  I  hope  my  father  won't  consider  that  I 
have  completed  my  education  entirely.  Per- 
haps I'd  better  refrain  from  showing  off,  or  he 
may  jerk  me  out  of  school  for  the  rest  of  time. 
Isn't  it  fun  to  get  your  history  lessons  in  this 
way?" 


Toward  the  Toe  409 

"Don't  mention  it,"  returned  Nan.  "Our 
history  lessons  are  so  full  of  illustrations  that 
we'd  be  idiots  if  we  didn't  absorb  facts  with 
every  breath.  Let  me  see,  how  long  was  the 
place  covered  up  ?  " 

"  Oh,  for  a  mere  matter  of  fifteen  centuries  I 
believe.  It  was  first  mentioned  in  history  in 
310  B.  c.,  so  Baedeker  says.  Nice  old  place, 
eh?" 

"  Don't  speak  of  it  in  that  flippant  way,"  re- 
turned Nan.  "  See,  Jo,  we  are  going  to  have 
that  nice-looking  guide.  Keep  your  ears  open 
and  don't  break  in  upon  my  efforts  to  gain  fresh 
knowledge." 

For  the  rest  of  the  morning  the  party  followed 
their  intelligent  guide,  a  young  man  who  spoke 
English  well,  and  who  informed  them  that  he 
was  from  Sorrento,  but  had  been  in  America 
for  several  years. 

"  It's  the  most  uncanny  thing  to  be  walking 
through  these  streets  and  go  poking  into  the 
houses  of  a  dead  city,"  remarked  Nan  to  her 
aunt.  "  I'm  glad  you  told  us  to  be  sure  to 
read  'The  Last  Days  of  Pompeii,'  for  I  can 
see  it  all  in  my  mind's  eye  much  more  vividly. 
I  fancy  Nydia  feeling  her  way  through  these 
places  and  I  can  imagine  just  what  went  on  in 
these  houses  now  I  have  read  Bulwer's  de- 
scriptions." 


41  o  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  Impressive,  very  impressive,"  asserted  Mr. 
Pinckney  gazing  at  the  great  amphitheatre. 
"  One  doesn't  feel  in  the  least  old,  my  dear 
Mrs.  Corner,  when  he  is  brought  face  to 
face  with  such  antiquity.  Why,  I  am  a  mere 
infant  compared  to  it."  He  chuckled  mirth- 
fully. 

Jean  and  Jack  amused  themselves  by 
skipping  back  and  forth  over  the  stepping- 
stones  set  across  some  of  the  narrow  streets, 
and  were  charmed  with  the  little  lizards  which 
darted  out  from  between  the  old  stones,  the 
sole  residents  of  that  ancient  and  populous 
town.  Mary  Lee  looked  down  at  the  ruts  made 
by  the  chariot  wheels  and  remarked,  "  Just 
think  of  all  the  poor  animals  that  must  have 
perished  in  that  dreadful  time." 

"  As  for  the  rest,"  as  Jo  said,  "  they  were 
walking  exclamation  points.  To  come  upon 
a  town  buried  for  centuries,  and  then  to  walk 
into  its  kitchens  to  see  its  pots  and  pans,  to 
come  upon  those  great  baths  and  to  go  poking 
around  the  carefully  retired  courts  and  bed- 
rooms, dear  me,  it  does  set  one  to  conjecturing 
and  exclaiming." 

"  I  love  the  color,  the  decorations,  the  statues 
and  all  that,"  said  Nan.  "  I'm  glad  they  had 
tried  to  make  it  look  something  as  it  used  to, 
and  have  reestablished  gardens  so  as  to  give 


Toward  the  Toe  41 1 

you  an  idea  of  what  it  was  like  in  the  long 
ago." 

Believing  that  the  luncheon  hour  would  not 
find  them  ready  to  leave  the  ruins  they  had 
provided  themselves  with  lunch  so  they  could 
stay  as  late  as  they  cared  to,  the  evening  light 
giving  an  added  fascination  to  the  silent  city. 

"  It's  been  a  great  day,"  said  Carter  as  they 
started  for  the  railway  station. 

"  Haven't  we  had  a  good  time  ?  "  said  Jack 
cordially.  "  What  are  you  going  to  do  this 
evening,  Carter?" 

"  Don't  know,  Jaquita.  I  may  go  to  the 
opera,  if  we  get  back  in  time.  I  know  very 
well  what  you  will  do." 

"What?" 

"  Tumble  into  your  little  bed  and  go  to  sleep 
in  about  two  minutes,"  returned  Carter  laughing. 

They  were  all  so  tired  that  opera  was  not 
to  be  thought  of,  and  it  was  decided  to  put  off 
that  pleasure  till  the  next  evening  when  all  went 
except  Mrs.  Corner  and  the  twins. 

"  I  suppose  Nan  will  be  snippy  and  will  say 
it's  not  worth  listening  to  because  the  music  is 
not  Wagner's,"  said  Mary  Lee  as  they  started 
out  through  the  gay  streets. 

"Indeed  I  shall  not,"  returned  Nan  indig- 
nantly. "  I  like  Wagner  best,  of  course,  but  I 
can  enjoy  anything  good,  I  hope." 


412  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

"  I've  never  reached  the  place  where  I  can 
appreciate  Wagner,"  confessed  Jo. 

"  You're  not  studying  music,"  Nan  explained. 
"  If  you  were  you  would  feel  differently.  I 
didn't  care  so  much  for  it  either  till  Frau  Burg- 
Schmidt  introduced  me  to  the  mysteries.  Now 
that  I  can  understand  it  I  think  it  is  the  great- 
est ever." 

"  Old  Rossini  and  Donizetti  and  those 
fellows  are  good  enough  for  me,"  declared 
Carter. 

Nan  had  her  own  ideas,  but  she  only  whis- 
pered to  her  aunt,  "  He  has  never  heard  Knote 
sing  Siegfried  or  Tannhauser."  She  was  not 
going  to  spoil  the  t  evening  by  futile  argu- 
ment. 

It  was  by  no  means  spoiled,  however,  for  the 
great  opera  house  of  San  Carlo  provided  them 
with  a  fine  caste  for  the  light  music  they  heard. 
It  was  a  very  different  and  less  attentive  audi- 
ence from  that  with  which  Nan  had  grown  so 
familiar  in  Munich,  but  as  she  gravely  ex- 
plained, "  The  character  of  the  music  is  so  very 
different,"  a  remark  which  caused  Miss  Helen 
to  smile  and  Jo  to  laugh  outright,  so  very 
superior  was  Nan's  tone. 

A  flood  of  sunshine,  blue  Italian  skies,  dancing 
blue  waters  in  the  lovely  bay  greeted  them  the 
next  morning.  "  This  is  the  day  that  was  made 


Toward  the  Toe 


413 


for  our  trip  to  Capri  and  the  Blue  Grotto,"  an- 
nounced Miss  Helen  when  they  were  taking 
breakfast.  "  So  get  ready,  girls.  Pack  your 
bags,  for  we  shall  stop  off  at  Sorrento  for  a  few 
days." 

Off  flew  the  girls,  for  there  was  but  a  short 
time  before  the  steamer  would  start  on  its  daily 
trip.  There  was  bustle  enough  for  the  next 
fifteen  minutes,  and  then  one  after  another  ap- 
peared, ready  to  go. 

"  This  will  be  the  best  of  all,"  said  Mary  Lee. 
"  I  feel  it." 

"What  do  you  do  when  you  get  there?" 
asked  Jean. 

"Get  where?" 

"  To  wherever  we  are  going.  I  don't  know 
exactly  where  it  is.  One  of  you  says  Capri, 
another  talks  about  Sorrento,  and  Jack  declares 
it  is  the  Blue  Grotto." 

"  It  is  all  three,"  Mary  Lee  told  her.  "  We 
stop  at  the  Blue  Grotto  first,  then  we  go  to  Capri 
and  have  our  lunch,  and  after  that  we  go  to 
Sorrento." 

"  Oh  ! "  Jean  understood.  She  was  some- 
what fearful  of  the  Blue  Grotto,  and  was  rather 
scared  when  the  little  boat  shot  into  the  small 
opening,  and  the  wonderful  blue  cave  was  be- 
fore her.  She  buried  her  face  in  her  mother's 
lap  and  would  not  look  up  at  first,  but  a  call 


414  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

from  Jack,  who  was  in  the  next  boat  with  Carter, 
caused  her  to  be  braver.  "  I  wasn't  scared  a 
bit,  was  I,  Carter  ?  "  sang  out  Jack. 

This  part  of  the  trip  was  soon  over  and  they 
went  on  to  Capri,  where  they  were  ready  to 
linger  longer  than  the  time  allowed.  "  Capri  is 
too  charming  for  words.  Must  we  leave  it  ?  " 
the  girls  said  to  their  elders. 

"  My  dears,  if  we  stopped  at  all  the  charming 
places  we  should  never  get  home,"  Mrs.  Corner 
told  them.  "  You  will  have  to  be  satisfied  with 
a  little  stop  at  Sorrento  this  time." 

"  Capri  will  be  here  for  ages  yet,"  said  Carter, 
"  and  when  we  get  to  be  tottering  old  people, 
Jack,  we  will  come  here  to  celebrate  our  golden 
wedding." 

"  Silly!"  was  all  the  answer  Jack  vouchsafed. 

A  babble  of  clamoring  voices  surrounded 
their  steamer  which  suddenly  came  to  a  stand- 
still. "  What  in  the  world  is  the  matter?"  said 
Mary  Lee  jumping  up. 

"  Come  along,  girls,"  Mr.  Pinckney  called  to 
them,  and  they  found  they  must  leave  the 
steamer  for  one  of  the  small  rowboats  rocking 
on  the  water  alongside.  The  clamor  of  voices 
calling  out  the  names  of  the  various  hotels  of 
Sorrento  issued  from  these.  Mr.  Pinckney 
shouted  out  the  name  of  the  one  they  had 
selected,  and  one  after  another  descended  to 


Toward  the  Toe  415 

reembark  and  to  be  rowed  shoreward  to  an 
ancient  pier  at  the  foot  of  the  lofty  crags. 

"  Now,"  said  Jean  settling  herself,  "  we  are 
going  to  eat  oranges  for  three  whole  days." 

Not  only  oranges,  but  all  manner  of  good 
things  did  their  hotel  afford.  Roses  rioted  in 
its  gardens,  beautiful  views  were  seen  from  their 
windows,  a  fair  orange  grove  became  their  happy 
retreat.  Their  three  days  in  this  loveliest  of 
spots  seemed  all  too  short,  so,  thro  wing  all  other 
plans  aside,  they  lingered  too  happy  and  con- 
tent to  care  for  anything  further. 

If  it  was  a  glad  time  to  the  Corners,  to  at 
least  two  of  the  party  it  seemed  a  Paradise,  the 
world  forgot.  It  was  Jack  who  first  learned 
what  every  one  else  suspected.  She  had  been 
walking  with  Mr.  Pinckney  in  the  orange  grove 
the  last  evening  of  their  stay  at  Sorrento.  They 
stopped  to  sit  down  on  one  of  the  old  stone  seats 
from  which  they  could  look  out  at  the  glorious 
view  of  Naples,  Vesuvius,  Capri  and  Ischia 
which  was  spread  out  before  them. 

Presently  Mr.  Pinckney  gave  a  long  sigh. 
"  Are  you  sighing  because  it  is  so  beautiful  ?  " 
asked  Jack  solicitously,  "  or  because  you  ate  too 
much  supper?" 

In  spite  of  himself  Mr.  Pinckney  could  not 
help  from  laughing,  his  jolly  old  chuckle,  but 
almost  immediately  became  serious  again.  "  It 


416  The  Four  Corners  Abroad 

is  something  else,  Jack,"  he  said.  "  I'm  going 
to  lose  my  little  girl." 

"You  don't  mean  me,  do  you?"  said  Jack 
after  a  moment's  pause.  She  could  not  im- 
agine any  other  whom  he  would  call  his  little 
girl. 

"  No,  not  you.  I  hope  we  shall  not  lose  you 
for  a  great  many  years.  I  mean,  my  dear,  that 
I  am  doing  as  you  told  me  to  do  there  in 
Venice.  I  am  trying  not  to  be  a  selfish  old 
fellow  and  am  consenting  to  give  up  Miss 
Dolores  because  it  will  make  her  happy." 

Jack's  arms  went  around  his  neck  and  she 
imprinted  a  hearty  kiss  upon  his  cheek.  "  You 
darling  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  think  you  are  too 
sweet  for  words." 

This  was  too  much  for  him  and  he  again 
broke  into  a  laugh.  "  I'm  glad  you  approve," 
he  said,  "but  while  you  are  so  glad  for  that 
granddaughter  of  mine,  you  haven't  a  word  of 
sympathy  for  me.  What  is  to  become  of  me  ?  " 

"Why,  of  course  you  will  be  happy,  too. 
Aren't  they  going  to  live  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  dear  Dolly  of  mine  wouldn't  say 
yes  otherwise." 

"  Of  course  she  wouldn't.  Well,  then,  won't 
you  have  her  and  Mr.  Kirk  both,  and  Nan  and 
Mary  Lee  and  Jean  and  me  besides  ?  "  Another 
mighty  hug  and  kiss. 


Toward  the  Toe  417 

"Bless  your  heart,  when  I  get  to  feeling 
down-hearted  I'll  send  for  you.  I'll  make  a 
bargain  with  your  mother  this  very  night." 

"  I  think  sometimes  you  might  come  and 
see  us  where  we  are,"  returned  Jack,  "  though, 
of  course,  I  shall  always  like  to  go  to  see  you," 
she  added  hastily. 

"  It's  a  bargain,"  he  said.  "  When  you  can't 
come  to  me  then  I  will  go  to  you,  whenever  I 
feel  that  I  am  in  the  way  at  home." 

"  Oh,  but  you  were  never  in  the  way,"  Jack 
hastened  to  assure  him,  then  she  added  mirth- 
fully, "  except  that  first  time  I  saw  you  when  I 
ran  into  you." 

The  recollection  of  this  put  Mr.  Pinckney  into 
a  happier  humor,  and  the  two  went  up  to  the 
house  to  tell  their  news  to  the  family. 

And  so  when,  a  week  later,  they  all  turned 
away  from  the  beautiful  land  where  they  had 
enjoyed  so  many  good  times,  to  set  out  upon 
the  journey  home,  it  was  not  only  to  school  and 
their  native  town  that  they  looked  forward,  but 
to  the  Christmas  wedding  of  their  dear  and 
lovely  friend  Miss  Dolores,  when  for  the  first 
time  each  of  the  four  Corners  would  perform 
the  office  of  bridesmaid. 


A    000  051  858    9 


